The Dark One
by DruidKitty
Summary: Grinch AU Abandoned at a young age on Christmas, Rumplestiltskin grew up despising Christmas & eventually excluding himself from society. After losing her mother around the holidays, Belle has always struggled with the true meaning of Christmas. After the two meet during a chance encounter they discover they may be able to help one another & get more than they hoped for.
1. Chapter 1

**Co author beadearie or crazydreamer6 on tumblr, darkonesroses on here.**

 **I do not own Once Upon a Time or The Grinch or any of the characters.**

Christmas. It was a season for giving, a time for cheer. Every resident down in the town of Storybrooke loved Christmas a lot. Every person except one: the Dark One. Rumplestiltskin was his real name and he lived just north of the town in a cave up high on the tallest of all the mountains.

Rumplestiltskin looked down upon the town from high up on the mountainside. He clutched his cloak around him as the snow floated through the air. He hated Christmas, the whole Christmas season. And he hated that everyone loved it so much. Christmas was the worst time; everyone only cared about himself or herself anymore. He hated all of this. He couldn't stand the thought of having to go through yet another 'joyful' Christmas. Well this year people would understand how terrible it was…. Time to go shopping.

Rumple headed into town with a disguise, a face mask, really. But these people were too stupid to even think twice about it, they were too busy buying things anyway. He managed to cause some trouble with some pranks, the only joy he got out of this season now.

The streets of Storybrooke were crowded that very afternoon, full of people bustling about shopping and dining, preparing for the Christmas season. It was a quaint little quiet town nestled in the midst of the mountains, but whenever Christmas approached it all seemed to change.  
Belle had always loved Christmas back when her mother was alive, but ever since her passing it just had not been the same. Her mother had never seemed to care about buying presents or whose decorations were better than whose, but her father on the other hand…well that was a different story.  
"Papa, do we really need to buy all these things?" Belle asked as she trailed along behind her father in the little boutique. Her hands were full of clothes, hats, gadgets, golf clubs, and other useless and expensive things one didn't necessarily need.

"Of course Belle," her father smiled. "Come on now, get into the Christmas spirit!"

Belle had always tried to get into the spirit, but she just never could. Shopping didn't seem to be what Christmas was about. Well…that's how it appeared, but that wasn't how she felt.  
She sighed heavily as she watched the clerk ring up their very large total.  
"Papa are you sure? Perhaps we should put some of this back?" Belle insisted. "Uncle John already has so many ties and Aunt Vicky doesn't need such an expensive watch…"  
They could barely afford rent as it was. Wasting money on something so frivolous was absurd. Their family would be happy with anything and understand...maybe.

"Belle!" Maurice said, turning to her as their items were bagged. "I can't believe you're acting like this, it's like you don't even care about Christmas anymore! If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were starting to sound like the Dark One! Now keep your head straight, my girl."

"Papa!" Belle was appalled. The Dark One was well known for his hatred of Christmas and anything that had to do with. Every season she would always read about incidents in the paper he caused in town, but she had never personally experienced anything her self, nor knew anyone who had. Very few people had even seen his face although there were rumors that he looked like a monster with sharp cruel fangs and horns as big as a bull. He lived up high in the mountains, but even the bravest of men would not dare go there.  
"I don't hate Christmas Papa," Belle explained. "I just think there has to be more to it than buying things."

"Well what else would it be for?" Maurice shrugged. He took their bags. "Now come on, we've got to get these to the post office to send them off." They headed back into the snow and the bustling streets where everyone was in a hurry to buy gifts.

Belle sighed and felt defeated. When her mother had been alive, it had not been like this. Belle couldn't remember exactly what it had been like; her mother had died when she was young. However, she had come to dread this time of year.  
Still, she obeyed and followed her father, toting the many gifts along the best she could.

They arrived at the post office, where her father worked during the winter, since his flower shop didn't do very well during the snowy seasons. They weren't able to send their mail off just yet though because there was a problem in the back. Everything was jumbled up and completely backwards and everyone was getting the wrong mail. Maurice had to help. "Belle, take some of these letters and put them in their right slots, would you?" he said, handing her a handful.

"Of course, Papa," she agreed, taking the pile of envelopes. Usually Belle would help her father when she could, not having a true job of her own. She had inquired for a long time about becoming the town librarian, but the library had been closed for a long time and the mayor didn't seem too keen on reopening it.  
Belle stepped in the back room, set her purse down and took off her thick wool coat, ready to get to work, unaware that she was not alone.

Damn, someone had to come into the room, didn't they?! Rumple hid up on the ceiling, thankful his magic kept him up there. He watched this girl in the back, and he didn't realize he had dropped his mask on the floor.

Belle was mindlessly looking through the pile of mail her father had given her, organizing it in a way that would make it easier for her to place it in the right boxes.  
As she walked over toward the sorting area though, she almost tripped on something on the floor. Stopping, she glanced down and squinted her eyes, trying to figure out what it was. Slowly, she reached down and picked it up, seeing that it was just a plastic Halloween mask.  
"That's odd," she said out loud, but rolled her eyes. "The post master must have let his children play back here. No wonder the mail is all mixed up."

Rumple had to hold back a sigh of relief. Please don't let her look up, please don't let her look up…

Belle gently set the mask down on the table and went back to sorting the mail. She was frustrated now, thinking that the postmaster had been careless enough to let his children run amuck in the back room. It only created more work for her to do.

Once her back was turned, he dropped to the ground silently. He headed for the back door and opened it, but it creaked as it opened. Damn…

Hearing the tell tell noise of the door, Belle assumed her father had joined her, either to help or bring her more mail.  
"Oh, Papa," Belle said, starting her sentence to ask him about something in particular as she turned around to face him. "Do you want me to…" Her sentence was cut short as she gasped and dropped the mail she was holding. Her Papa wasn't standing in the doorway…no…it was another…the most dreaded and feared person in the town. "Y…you….your the…the…dddd…" Belle was shaking with fear as she stepped back and pressed herself against the wall.

"The the the..." he said mockingly. "The Dark One!" He was suddenly inches from her face, a good scaring tactic.

Belle stared up at him with big wide and fearful eyes. He looked nothing like the tales people told, but he was still terrifying. He resembled a man mixed with a monster-or more like a demon. His skin was an unnatural green color with flakes of gold and it looked rough and thick. The wavy hair on his head fell down to his shoulders, and it was brown with streaks of grey. And his eyes-his eyes were the most terrifying-they were brown and yellow with slits in the middle like a reptile. She couldn't really see how he dressed because he had a large brown robe draped around him.  
But this monster was standing mere centimeters from her and had her pinned against the wall. She had no idea what his intentions were, but she knew they couldn't be good so she was frightened.  
She opened her mouth, ready to scream for help.

Seeing she would scream, his hand went to cover her mouth. "Don't scream," he said. "You didn't see me, understand girl?" Being this close to her, he could see how beautiful she was, how blue her eyes were, how pale her skin was, how her hair caught the dim lights…. She smelled wonderful too, like butterscotch and roses… He had to get out of here.

Belle could see the feral look in his unnatural eyes and she became even more worried. What was he going to do to her? Would he hurt her or worse would he…? Oh gods, just the thought of it made her want to cry and her eyes teared up.  
Slowly she nodded her head. Feeling his hand against her mouth, his body so close to hers, made her want to faint so she had no energy to do anything else.

He looked into her eyes, making sure she was truthful, before he drew his hand away. "Good," he said. "Now just stay there." He turned to leave the room.

Belle was true to her word and did not scream when he moved his hand away. She was shocked though when she saw that he was leaving-just leaving and nothing more.  
"Y…you're not going to hurt me?" she found herself asking, although she instantly regretted it. Why didn't she just keep her mouth shut and let him leave? If he wasn't going to hurt her now she had just given him the chance to change his mind.

He stopped and he looked back at her, rather confused. "Why on earth would I hurt you?" he asked, a little offended.

Belle hesitated. She had heard many stories of the Dark One-how he not only hated Christmas and tried to boycott it, but how he would steal, pillage, and even take children from their parents. She had also heard tales where he would take unwilling women to his cave a top the mountain to have his way with them. Was she doomed to be one of those women? Perhaps so now that she had been foolish enough to question him. She should have just remained silent-or screamed. She could still scream. But would her father or anyone else really be powerful enough to stop him?  
"W…why else are you here?" She asked, her voice still shaking. She had backed into a corner now, trying to edge her way toward the door so she could make a quick get away if she had the chance.

"What you think I came all the way here to get caught by a pretty girl in the post office?" he said. "Don't flatter yourself. Now if you excuse me, I need to be going now." He headed to the door, taking the mask with him.

Pretty girl? Oh she knew she had seen that look in his eyes and now he had basically confirmed it.  
"Then why did you come here?" she blurted out. Damn her curiosity. Why couldn't she just let him leave and ensure her safety?

Rumple looked at her and they could both hear the ruckus coming from the other room from the mail mix up. "Quite a glorious sound, isn't it? Panic and everything going wrong around Christmas? It's what I live for…" There was the sound of footsteps approaching and without another word he disappeared in a puff of purple smoke.

Belle gasped loudly as he suddenly disappeared before her eyes. She had always known magic existed, but so few possessed the powers so she had never actually seen it, only read about it.  
Now she had just witnessed it for the first time, performed by the Dark One of all people. The Dark One. She had just met the Dark One-something else not many others could say.  
And the strangest thing was he had not hurt her-he had not even tried to hurt her-despite what all of the stories told of him.  
Belle was relieved and she could finally breathe easier now. But now she couldn't stop thinking of the Dark One and what he said right before he left. How could anyone hate Christmas that much that they would want to ruin it for others?  
"Belle!"  
She tensed up again and her head shot up, frightened that he had returned. It was only her father though, peeking his head in the door.  
"What are you doing just standing there? We have a lot of work to do! The situation is worse than we thought!" Moe said.  
"I'm sorry, Papa. I was just…" Should she tell him about her encounter? Would he even believe her? Probably not. Or if he did then it could make him worry more than he should or worse, make him do something stupid. She cleared her throat and straightened, brushing off her blue lacey dress. "I was just daydreaming. I'll get back to work."

"Well get back to it!" Maurice said and brought back a large box of all the letters that had gotten mixed up.

Belle groaned loudly when her father left, leaving her the giant box of mixed up letters. This was the Dark One's entire fault. She knew that now. And if she didn't think he would harm her she would march right up to the top of that mountain and give him a piece of her mind. This was ridiculous! Why did he insist on pulling this kinds of pranks. Yes, he hated Christmas but what point did mixing up letters prove?  
She continued to seethe about it as she worked the rest of the afternoon, trying to keep her mind of the mysterious man she had just met.


	2. Chapter 2

By evening, everything was thankfully sorted through and organized so Maurice and Belle were able to go home, which was a quait little house in a neighborhood within walking distance from downtown.

As Belle and her father approached their turn, chatting lightly about nothing in particular, Belle noticed a very bright light up ahead.

She squinted curiously as she walked a little further, noticing the strange light was coming from her house-or more or less her roommate Ruby's house.

Once around the corner, Belle found Ruby decorating the house with as many Christmas lights as she could get her hands on, determined to win the light show competition. She smiled at Belle and her father. "Heya Belle!" she called without stopping her work.

Belle stopped and looked up at Ruby who was high up on a ladder. "Hey," she said. "Do you need help?" Ruby had a tangle of lights balled up in her arms and Belle worried she might fall.

"Yeah, I need all the help I can get," she said. "Hey Mr. French," she added as Maurice headed inside the house.

Maurice greeted Ruby before he headed inside, determined to take a shower and go to bed after a long day at work.  
"Alright, just let me put my things away and I'll be out here," Belle told her, needing to change out of her red heels and put on flats if she was going to be climbing a ladder.  
Minutes later she was back outside going through the box of lights on the ground and trying to untangle them. "Why do you have so many?"

"Well I gotta win that prize!" Ruby smiled. "Those who show the most Christmas spirit gets the prize."

"Prize?" Belle questioned as she continued to try and untangle the glob of lights. "Who's giving away a prize?"

"The mayor, of course!" Ruby said cheerfully. "She really knows all about Christmas spirit anyways."

"Really?" Belle said skeptically. She didn't know the mayor that well, but from what she could gather of Mayor Mills, the woman didn't know anything about Christmas and she wasn't very friendly either. But then again what did Belle really know too? "I don't really understand what lights have to do with Christmas spirit." Decorating was fun, but that wasn't what Christmas was really about was it?

"It shows off how bright and happy this holiday is, of course!" Ruby exclaimed. "Now come on, we're almost done." She took an end of the lights Belle had and started stringing them up.

Bright and happy? That made sense in a way, but no one Belle ever met was bright and happy around Christmas, not really. Everyone was always stressing out about what to buy or worrying about what they wanted. People in her position her or her father's would struggle to pay bills because of it. They didn't make very much money which was one reason she had to stay with her friend, Ruby. Then there were the people who acted like they were excited to see family, but would talk about each other when backs were turned. Belle sighed heavily, feeling like she had to accept it despite her opinion. "If you say so…"

Ruby nodded and they finished hanging up the lights. She smiled brightly as she climbed down to the ground and stand by Belle to look up at her finished work. "Now everything is bright and cheerful," she said. "Come on, let's go eat dinner?"

Belle didn't disagree, knowing it wouldn't help, but honestly, it looked clustered and gaudy to her; she preferred a small amount of lights that outlined the house, but this was Ruby's home. There was no place for her objection. "Yes, of course," Belle agreed and followed her friend inside.

After dinner, Belle had trouble sleeping that night, her mind stuck on the Dark One. She couldn't get over the fact that she had met the mysterious man-that she may have been the only one to have ever met him, and she couldn't even talk to anyone about it.

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The next morning there was a town meeting called, and the Mayor Regina stood ready to make an announcement as everyone gathered in the town center curious about what was going on.

"Oh I wonder what it is," Ruby said excitedly as she bundled up in her warmest clothes ready to go join the crowd. The temperature was lower that day and there was a fresh blanket of snow on the ground.  
"I don't know," Belle replied as she slipped her scarf around her neck. "Town meetings are rare. I hope nothing is wrong."

"I don't think so," Ruby said. "Maybe she's just going to he announcing some sort of Christmas sale or something."

Belle shook her head. "Mayor Mills doesn't own all the stores…she doesn't have _that_ much control."

After putting on her black boots lined with fur, Bell looked at her friend. "Ready?"

Ruby nodded, pulling her red jacket close around her. They headed into town and were shocked to find almost everyone from Storybrooke was already there.

Maurice had been at work that day, so while he wasn't with Belle and Ruby, Belle knew he was still somewhere in the crowd. The entire town had been called to the center of town where the largest Christmas tree stood higher than any structure-everything had been put on hold with exception of necessities like the hospital. Belle scanned the crowd for her papa, but she couldn't see him. There were so many people all discussing what was going on. Belle didn't even realize so many lived in Storybrooke.

The Mayor was already there too, along with her little lap dog of a man, Sydney Glass. Regina got up and tapped the microphone. "Hello people of Storybrooke," she said with a fake smile. "Now I'm sure you're all wondering what we're all doing here. I'm here to tell you all that this year's Christmas is the best ever, because this year, the annual Christmas celebration will be for the whole town."

Immediately everyone in the crowd began chattering amongst each other, all shocked and discussing what the Mayor had just said. The Annual Christmas party was well known to the public, but each year only a select crowd was invited by private invitation. Now the entire town was invited? Even Belle was shocked and she could feel a little excitement building.  
People began screaming questions out at the mayor. "Is this a joke? Why now? _Everyone_ is invited?"

"Now, now, one at a time," the mayor said. "Yes, everyone is invited, it's going to be a social event here in the town hall. We all should share and enjoy the Christmas spirit." Her words sounded sincere, but everyone knew this had to be a plow to gain popularity for the upcoming election the following year.

As the mayor continued to speak and answer questions, Belle's excitement slowly morphed into disappointment. She had considered at first that this had been done out of the kindness of the Mayor's heart, but it was slowly becoming clear that was not the case. All Regina Mills cared about was votes and from the gossip Belle had heard, this election was already a close one with a new woman in town running against Regina: Emma Swan. Belle didn't know much about the blonde woman, except that her and Regina did not get along at all.  
It drove Belle mad to think that everyone in town was not seeing through Regina's facade. All they seemed to care about was the ball and nothing more.  
So without thinking, Belle decided to challenge her.  
She stepped forward and yelled out, getting the crowds attention. Some backed away to look at her, she not being one to speak up often, having been given the reputation of being the quiet and odd bookworm.  
"You say anyone in town is invited to the Ball?" Belle questioned looking up at the Mayor firmly.

Regina looked down at Belle. "Yes, Miss French, everyone in town is invited," she said with a sneer and slight roll of the eyes. "I've made that very clear."

"Even the Dark One?" Belle challenged, having to say the name quickly before she lost the courage. It was probably the foolish thing she had ever done, but if the Mayor was sincere in bringing everyone Christmas spirit, then the Dark One was the person who needed it the most. She had met him and she had seen it first hand.

Everyone fell silent and stared at her. The Dark One? She had the nerve to invite the Dark One to a Christmas celebration, the time he hated the most? "Miss French, the Dark One wouldn't come even if he was invited," Regina said, brushing her off and looking annoyed.

More people inched away from Belle and she could hear a few whispers, but she didn't care. "But he is invited, am I correct?" Belle insisted, holding firm to her idea.

Regina looked down at her like she was scolding a three year old. "Miss French, why would the Dark One be invited to a holiday that he despises? To a holiday he tries to destroy? Now that's enough of this nonsense."

Belle's face remained stern and she stood her ground. "But didn't you say any resident of the town is invited? So that we all may take part in the Christmas spirit? I would think someone who hates Christmas as much as he would need this the most, would need to be shown what this holiday is truly about."

Regina sighed, feeling defeated. "Fine, if someone can convince him to come down for the celebration, then yes," she said. "He is invited."

Someone in the crowd laughed loudly. "No one here will ever do that," the man said.  
"Yeah who is brave enough to go up to the monster's cave?" yelled another. "Imagine what he'd do to you!"

Belle swallowed, feeling a lump in her throat. She had started this and she would have to be the one to finish it if she didn't want to look like a fool. In all honesty, she was terrified of what she was about to volunteer for, but she also believed in what she said and felt. After her encounter with the Dark One the day before, she felt this was necessary. She felt a pull. "I'll do it!" she called out finally causing to everyone to go quiet again and gasp. "I'll go speak to the Dark One."

Regina smirked at Belle. "Then you better snap to it," she said. "The celebration will be in a few days, you have until then." Clearly she believed, this was all nonsense and was just trying to end the conversation. "Now," she looked at the crowd, ignoring Belle, "let's talk about the details…"

Belle took a deep breath and backed away a few steps to think, but her thoughts were quickly interrupted by her father stepping out of the crowd and up to her. "Belle are you mad!? What's come over you?! The Dark One?!"

Belle looked at her father and shrugged her shoulders. "I want everyone to have a chance to enjoy Christmas and discover what it's truly about." She still didn't know herself, but at least she was trying to help another even if that other was the Dark One.

Maurice shook his head. "Belle you can't do this! The Dark One will skin you alive!"

"Oh Papa, don't you see? That's just a myth!" Belle knew that wouldn't happen. He hadn't tried to hurt her the day before in the post office. She could see it on his face that he was shocked that she even thought so. Although she did know that he was trying his best to frighten her, she was fairly certain it was all a mask he wore, literally and figuratively. Nevertheless, when she visited him she would still take protection to be safe.

Maurice shook his head. "You're going to get yourself killed Belle!" he said.

"Papa, no I'll be safe, I promise." She grabbed her father's arm to assure him. "I'll take a weapon with me for protection, but I don't believe he'll hurt me. Just because he hates Christmas doesn't mean he's dangerous." She knew her father was probably not convinced so she would need to back up her reasoning. "Tell me-have you ever heard of him actually hurting someone?"  
Belle had heard stories, but they were always someone who knew someone who knew someone else. No one had ever been able to back anything up.

"Belle, you know about the stories, that should be enough to be cautious," he said. He was frustrated at his daughter: the fact that she wasn't taking this seriously.

"And that's exactly what they are, stories, nothing more," Belle insisted. She sighed heavily. "Papa I promise I will be very cautious. If I get up there and feel there will be any danger I'll run."

Just then a strapping young man came up. He was known as Gaston, and he was the man that all of the young women wanted. He wrapped an arm around Belle's shoulders. "Worry not, Belle," he smiled. "I'm going with you, and I'll protect you."

Belle jumped slightly and froze when she felt someone sling his or her arm over her. She resisted the urge to groan when she looked up and saw it was Gaston. Instead she rolled her eyes and gently grabbed his arm and lifted it off of her. "No thank you, Gaston. I believe I will manage," she told him, taking a step away to put some distance between them.

Gaston looked unimpressed. "Belle you're going to need a real man up there to protect you," he said.

Real man? She almost burst out laughing, but caught herself.  
"Yes, Belle I'd feel much better if Gaston went with you," Maurice interjected. "Actually I'd feel better if you didn't go at all."  
Belle huffed. "Papa, I've committed to this and I will follow through whether you like it or not. I'm a grown woman, I can make my own decisions!" She shrugged away from Gaston again. "And I don't need a man to protect me!" Her tone was sarcastic when she said the word 'man.'

"All women need protecting, Belle, it's your feminine nature," Gaston said.

That statement was making Belle angry and she knew she couldn't stay around this man any longer.  
"I do not need protection!" She said stomping her foot. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a hike to plan!"  
And with that Belle stomped off toward home, despite the protests from both her father and Gaston. She wasn't going to listen to this anymore-she had a trip to plan.

Once Belle was home, she locked herself in her room wanting to be alone for a while. Her anger was dissipating and everything was beginning to sink in. What had she gotten herself into? Inviting the Dark One personally to a Christmas Party? What had come over her? Maybe this wasn't a good idea... No she couldn't think like that. If she wanted to go through with it she had to remain positive.  
He had frightened her so the day before, but he hadn't hurt her. He hadn't even tried to hurt her. All he had wanted to do was cause mischief-and that was exactly what he did. But would her luck fare the same if she visited him at _his_ home-where no one had ever ventured?

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Meanwhile up in the mountains, Rumplestiltskin lived in his cave, keeping to himself and watching the town go about it's say to day activities-activities he would never be apart of. He listened to the wind howling by as the clouds began to snow again. For some reason he kept thinking about that girl he had met yesterday, the one in the post office. Her eyes, most especially…


	3. Chapter 3

Belle took a few days to get prepared, both mentally and physically, for the climb up to the Dark One's lair. Both her father and Ruby tried to talk her out of it, but she wouldn't listen. She was going to see this through. What was the worse that would happen? He would say no?  
Early one morning Belle was dressed in a warm white shirt and black skirt, along with a thick black coat lined with fur and a hood. She wore her tall black boots to match and tied her hair back to make it easier.  
Soon she was ready to go and started her journey toward the Dark One's home, making sure to take a small pistol with her just in case this were to go horribly wrong.  
The first part of her hike was easy, she had been to the foot of the mountain before, but soon she began approaching the warning signs the town had placed on the trail to keep people from accidentally wandering into the beast's lair.  
She stopped for a moment to look at one and examine how threatening it was. It's warning was enough to cause anyone to turn back-if one believed the myths surrounding the Dark One.  
Taking a deep breath she took a step past the sign into forbidden territory. She had never wandered this far up the mountain, no one she knew had, and now she was about to. There was no turning back now.

The moment her foot stepped beyond the boundary, Rumple felt something. The magic barriers around his mountain rippled as he felt someone coming towards his home. No doubt some stupid teenagers in a dare or something. Thankfully there were some illusions that would scare the idiots. Up ahead shadow figures awaited whomever was coming to run past, jump out, and frighten them…

Continuing along the path, Belle maintained a slow pace, stopping every once in a while to admire the scenery. The entire town could be seen from where she stood and it was absolutely gorgeous. The people looked like ants from that high up and she could make out some of the buildings and even the very large Christmas tree that stood high in the center of Storybrooke.  
It was daytime now, but she knew the view at night had to be spectacular, especially during Christmas with all the lights. Perhaps she could see that one day…if this all goes well she thought to herself.  
Suddenly a noise from behind her made her jump and swing around. It sounded like someone was there and she could have sworn she saw a shadow.  
Instinctively her hand went in her jacket pocket where her pistol rested. "Hello," she called out reluctantly. "Is anyone there?"

More shadows surrounded her, shifting between the bushes and trees and rocks. Then one of them suddenly leapt out at her, then several more followed.

When Belle saw shadow after shadow she froze in fear. She had thought only The Dark One lived up on the mountain, but clearly there were others and she had not accounted for that.  
This was more dangerous than she had thought and as the shadow of whoever came toward her she completely forgot about her gun. If she tried to run she knew she would fall and go tumbling down the mountain. So instead she ducked and cowered waiting for the blow to come…only it never did…and it was quiet. That was weird; people would be making noise if they were here. Slowly she peeked an eye open and her mouth fell open. The shadows were nothing but actual shadows as she could clearly see because they were still dancing along the mountain walls. She relaxed and let go of her breath she was holding. This was nothing but a scare tactic of the Dark One's no doubt.  
Standing back to her feet she brushed the snow off and continued up the mountain curious if he knew she was coming or if the shadows were always there to ward people away.

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Well whoever this person was, they were persistent, going past the shadows. Next up was the screams, whoever they were, they would hear screams and would be compelled to lead this person astray, away from the cave…

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Belle continued along the path, which wasn't much of a path at all because of the snow that covered the ground and the fact that no one traveled through there. Most of it was grown up; there was brush and trees, but not enough to block her way.  
Suddenly she heard someone scream…no more than one person… Belle froze yet again, but not for long. Suddenly she was on her toes, running the best she could in the snow. But she wasn't running away from the screams, but toward them. Someone was in trouble and she had to help. She couldn't leave an innocent alone if they were in trouble, especially when she had protection. But as she got closer and closer to the screams they seemed to come from all directions. It was impossible to pinpoint them. She stopped suddenly as she came to get another realization. Tricked again. Instead of getting frustrated though, she just giggled. The Dark One was working hard to keep her away. He must know she was here.  
She glanced towards the top, and started towards it once more. She was almost to there.

xxxxxx

What the bloody hell?! Who was this person, why the hell were they coming? Luckily there was one more obstacle, the monster that guarded the cave. It had once been a regular wolf but Rumple had altered to be five times its normal size, made its teeth longer along with its claws, and then made it very aggressive. If this didn't scare the intruder off then hell, they deserved to see him.

xxxxxxx

The last part of the hike ended up being more of a climb. The Dark One's cave was at the very tip top of the mountain and by the time Belle finally pulled herself up on the final rock, she was out of breath and had to take a moment to breathe. But as she set there on the quiet mountaintop, she actually heard something else-another breath being taken-no it was more like panting and it was standing right behind her. Gradually she turned around to face whatever it was and she instantly wished she hadn't. Her eyes went big as they landed on the terrifying creature and she couldn't help but scream, a scream that reverberated through the mountains over and over again until the noise slowly faded away.

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Rumple smiled as he heard the scream. The wolf wouldn't kill the person, a girl it sounded like, but hopefully it would have them running away never to return.

xxxxxxxxxx  
The wolf growled and approached her, his eyes focused on her. He looked so menacing as he got closer and closer.

Belle looked around frantically for something she could use as a weapon again forgetting about her pistol. There was no escape from this wolf, not from where she sat. She had climbed up here so one wrong move and she could fall to her death.  
But she was also sure to meet her death that moment as she became this creature's meal.  
There was nothing though within her grasp so all she could do was back away until the creature cornered her against the rocks. Tears began to sting her eyes and she closed them waiting for death to come…but then suddenly something occurred to her. Twice things meant to scare her had already tricked her and they were nothing more than illusions. She was at the entrance to the cave now, so this wolf had to be an illusion too and the best one of all. Of course it was!  
Swallowing hard she opened her eyes, forcing herself to be brave. This was an illusion, it wasn't real. She kept telling herself that as she slowly reached her hand out toward the beast, hoping with everything she had that it would disappear the moment her hand came in contact with it's face.

The wolf was very real, but as soon as it saw that she was going to pet him, it stopped growling and sniffed at her hand. She didn't smell threatening…

Belle took ragged breaths. It wasn't going anywhere…but it was sniffing her like a dog would if it was trying to get accustomed to her. Belle bit her bottom lip and continued hoping that this would not turn out horribly wrong. Once the wolf stopped sniffing and appeared like it was okay with her, she slowly let her hand gently caress the top of his head, petting him, lightly at first.

The wolf's ears fell back and it looked at her like an unsure puppy. He licked her wrist a few times. This one was alright…

Belle relaxed yet again. This time she smiled too as she continued to pet the wolf. "You're nothing but a big puppy aren't you? Another illusion to try and keep me away from your master…" At least she assumed the Dark One was his master. Who else would it be?

The wolf went closer to her and licked her arm. It seemed very friendly now. Rumple was near the door, listening to see if whoever this girl was had left yet.

Belle began to giggle as the wolf showed her affection and as the licking started to tickle. "Alright, yes, I'm happy to meet you too."  
She pulled herself up to her feet and brushed the snow off once more. "Now let's see about meeting your master…"  
Belle walked over to the door to the cave-well it looked like a door except it had no knob or hinges. There certainly wasn't a knocker or doorbell either. Not very welcoming at all…  
"Well how does he get in?" Belle questioned aloud.  
The wolf stood behind her wagging his tail happily and he barked once before coming up to the door and pawing at it, wanting to be let in.

Rumple figured the girl must have run, and he smiled as he slid the door open with his magic. The wolf ran up to him and Rumple laughed, not even seeing she was there. Rumple scratched the wolf behind the ears and ended up getting tackled by the big puppy. Rumple laughed as it licked his face.

Belle stood in the doorway as she watched the duo with the biggest smile on her face. They looked so happy together; she almost felt like she was a third wheel. Perhaps she was. After all the Dark One had tried so hard to ward her away. She felt bad now, for interrupting his privacy, but it was too late now. There was no way she could just leave without him knowing.  
Shyly, she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and cleared her throat.

Rumple pushed the dog off of him. "Get off, you big lug," he laughed, and then he heard someone clearing his or her throat. He looked up and his smile faded, his eyes widening. That girl. She was the one that had been coming to see him? He slowly stood up, staring at her in shock. "You…" he said. "…What the hell are you doing here?"

Briefly Belle lost her voice, feeling small under his gaze. He was angry, he had to be angry, but what else did she expect?  
Hopefully, she was right though that he wouldn't harm her-that his reputation was just a mask he hid behind, an illusion, like the incidents on the mountain.  
"I…um…came to see you…" she stuttered nervously.

He looked at her, not knowing what to think. "But… Why?" he asked.

Belle tucked the same piece of hair behind her ear again, but it continued to fall in her face.  
She bit her lip too, feeling anxious as well. Taking a deep breath she worked up the courage to say what she came to say.  
"Well, the annual Town Christmas party is coming up in a few weeks, and for the first time the whole town is invited, including you." She pulled a small envelope out of the inside of her jacket and held it out for him. It contained a card with all of the information on it that he would need.

Rumple looked between her and the invitation several times before he snatched the envelope away and tore it open, looking over the paper. "Christmas party…" he muttered. "…Celebrate…. with friends." He stopped at the "with friends", and then he threw his head back and laughed. "Oh that's a good one, girl!" he laughed before tossing the paper over his shoulder and walking away. "Now leave, and don't let the door crush you o the way out." He called over his shoulder.

It wasn't surprising he acted this way, this she expected. And she didn't leave. Instead she stepped into the threshold, but didn't dare come to far into the cave or house whatever he called it. She was curious to look around, but from where she stood she couldn't see much.  
"Why won't you give it a chance?" She asked him. "You might enjoy it!"

"Shut up!" he called. The door closed behind her, and once it was closed, there were torches on the walls that lit the way.

Belle jumped out of the way of the door just in time to avoid being hit and to remain inside. She watched with awe as the torches lit themselves along the wall.  
The wolf came running up to her wagging his tail and nudging her hand.  
Belle smiled at him and pet his head before trailing off after the Dark One. "You don't have anything to worry about…this isn't a trap…no one will harm you. The mayor and the town have all agreed to this."

"I don't bloody care if the people are alright with me being there, I don't want to be there, so I'm not going," Rumple called. As they walked, more torches lit up, and the floor began to change from stone and dirt to polished wooden floors, and the walls became those of a grand house.

Belle continued following him, trying to concentrate on the conversation, but she just couldn't completely. She was just so fascinated with what was happening around her and found herself staring.  
"I…um…why don't you want to go?" She asked, attempting to focus. "How do you know you'll hate it?"

"Because I hate Christmas," he said. "Why is that such a hard concept to grasp?" he said. They came to a giant cavern, which looked like it had been transformed into a large castle hall on the inside. There were paintings and priceless items all around, thick rugs and tall chairs. Sitting in the corner was large spinning wheel, and he sat at it.

Belle nearly tripped over her own feet as she stepped in the room and strained her neck to see everything. Luckily, the wolf was there to nudge her in the side and catch her balance. She smiled down at him and mouthed a thank you.  
She then began to meander around the room, admiring all the treasures. "You know I've had my own doubts about Christmas," she told him as her hand gently ran over the handle of a golden sword. Maybe she shouldn't touch, but she just couldn't help herself and he didn't seem to mind.

He chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Like that's possible," he said. "Everyone is obsessed with Christmas and the singing and the lights and all the food to shove down their throats to make themselves fat happy bastards that sing carols all day."

Belle frowned and turned her eyes to the set of dolls she was looking at. "You're right…everyone I know is like that. My Papa spends all our money on pointless gifts my family doesn't even care for and my best friend thinks of nothing but winning the light competition. I myself have always hoped there was more to Christmas. However, I fear I may be wrong…"

"There's not," he said. Honestly he hadn't expected her to say that. But she could just be playing him. "Nothing good ever comes out of Christmas. Now I've had enough talking about it, please leave."

Belle turned to face him, clasping her hands in front of her. He didn't want her there, she knew that, but it kind of hurt, which was weird because she barely knew him. Now that she met him though, he seemed like nothing of the tales she heard…mostly he just seemed lonely. It was clearly obvious as she stood there watching him spin.  
"It must be very lonely up here," she said softly not trying to push him, "perhaps you'll promise me you'll think about it? This could be your opportunity to show others you're not as scary as they think and you could even make a friend."

He turned around and stood up, going towards her. "The Dark One does not make friends. The Dark One doesn't go to parties, doesn't have fun and drink eggnog with the rest of the selfish idiots in the snow. And I am as dark as they say I am. I don't think you want to find out."

Belle cocked an eyebrow at him and smirked. "You know what I think? I don't think you are as Dark as people say. You just use that as a mask to hide behind for whatever reason. I think deep down you would like to have a friend…even if it were to just be one…" It seemed quite early to make such an assumption, but something in her heart told her she was right.

"I don't need friends," he snapped. "And anyways, I have Max." He gestured to the wolf.

Mac wagged his tail and looked at his master expectantly after hearing his name. Belle smiled at the dog. "Max…so that's your name," she said to the wolf who turned his attentions to Belle. She placed both her hands on his head and rubbed him behind the ears. "So nice to meet you Max, my name is Belle."  
She was giving the dog her name, but it was also a roundabout way to tell the Dark One.

Max licked her arm and panted happily like he was smiling.

"Yes, well it was nice to see you again, but you should go," Rumple said.

Belle looked up at the Dark One and stood. He had asked her to leave more than once now and she didn't want to keep pushing her luck.  
She nodded her head. "As you wish," she said softly, "just promise me you'll consider it?"

"Fine, I'll consider it," he said and he paused for a moment. "There, I've considered it. Still not going."

Belle huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "I meant seriously. Think about it over the next few days before you make a decision. You may really enjoy yourself-getting out of this place for once."

"I've had enough of your silly nonsense," he said. "Really, I don't need to think about it because even if I do, the answer will be the same. No."

Belle frowned, but she knew he was right. Why would he come to this party? He had been alone up here for who knows how long…he didn't know anyone and he apparently didn't like company.  
She nodded her head, but remained optimistic. "Perhaps I could change your mind?"

He shook his head. "My mind is not easily changed," he said.

"Well if you give me the chance I'm willing to try," she offered, smiling at him softly.

Rumple looked up at her and rolled his eyes. "Yes," he said. "You can sure try, but I can guarantee you will not succeed."

Belle was actually shocked he agreed so easily, but she was glad. She saw this as a challenge and she always liked a challenge. Belle smirked triumphantly. "Good. Then I guess this means we will be spending more time together."

He shook his head and turned and went back to the wheel. "Whatever," he said.

Belle knew she was being dismissed and it was probably the last time he would tell her to get out without becoming angry. "Alright then, goodbye…Dark One," she said feeling weird calling him that but assuming that was his name. She turned to leave and she felt something nudging at her leg. Seeing Max she bent down and rubbed him softly. "And goodbye to you too Max. We will meet again," she promised. She was sure she would be back. After al she had promised to try and change the Dark One's mind, she just had to figure out what she was going to do.

He sighed and he turned to her again. "My name is Rumplestiltskin," he repeated, louder.

"Rumplestiltskin," she repeated, sounding it out. "Such a unique name. I like it." She smiled at him. She had never heard such a name before, nor did she know the Dark One actually had another name. She was happy he shared it with her. Perhaps this wasn't a lost cause.

Rumple looked at her, a little confused. "You…. You do?" he asked. Usually people laughed at his name…

Belle nodded and continued to smile. "I do. I've never heard anything like it…well I have in my books…but I've never met anyone with such an interesting name."

"Interesting?" he asked, going up to her. "You can't mean that."

"But I do," she insisted looking up at him. He was a few inches taller than her, but not much. If she was wearing her usual heels they would practically be the same height.  
He certainly wasn't as intimidating as he tried to make himself out to be. His skin was unique too with the green gold hue. She almost wanted to reach out and touch it but she wouldn't dare. "I have no reason to lie to you."

"Yes you do," he said. "You're trying to flatter me so I'll go to that stupid party. It won't work."

Belle furrowed her brow at him. "No! I wasn't even thinking of the party at the moment! I was being sincere!"

"Right, he said, shaking his head. "Now get out of my home."

Belle sighed and nodded. She knew he didn't believe her. "Very well. Good day Rumplestiltskin."

And with that she turned and left, the front opening for her automatically, leaving her with a long hike back down to the bottom of the mountain and a big task of convincing the Dark One to come to a Christmas Party ahead of her.


	4. Chapter 4

It had been a few days and for the life of him, Rumplestiltskin could not block Belle from his mind. He just kept thinking about her: her eyes, her smile, the light catching in her hair. It was keeping him up at night. Damn it, he had to see her again, but why? He sighed and he managed to find his way into town one afternoon without being seen, but how was he going to find her?

xxxxxxxxxxx

Belle was at a lost for what to do. She had sworn to try and change the Dark One's mind about coming to the party-and deep down she knew she really meant to change his mind about Christmas-but how was she going to do such a thing when she held so many doubts herself?  
So, she did what she always did best and found herself in the library, searching for any and every book she could find that was related to Christmas.

Rumple hurried through town with the mask on again. Why was he even here, what would he even say to her? He then saw her in the library window as he passed by, and for some reason his heart leapt when he saw her. He snuck into the library and went up behind her, whispering in her ear. "You never came back to convince me, I was worried you'd given up…"

Belle jumped and had to catch herself from falling out of the chair when she heard a voice in her ear. She had been concentrating on her book so she didn't even realize there was anyone else in the library with her besides the librarian who was well across the room. Most people were out shopping and doing other holiday activities, not occupying themselves with hobbies.  
Turning her head she glanced up to see someone standing there with the strangest of masks on. Belle squinted her eyes at him. "Rumplestiltskin?" she asked softly to make sure it was truly he.

"Aye, it's me," he said. "Who else wears a mask like this?"

"I don't know…you could have been a teen trying to play a prank." They did that sometimes. "And that mask is pretty generic…"

He sighed and looked around, making sure no one was watching before he lifted his mask enough to show her it was him. "There, satisfied?" he asked.

Belle giggled quietly. "I know it's you now," she said. "You didn't have to prove it…although I do prefer to see your face over that hideous mask…"  
She actually felt privileged. How many people in town could say they had seen the Dark One? Certainly there were few, if any, who also knew his real name.

He glanced around. There was no one near them. He slowly took off his mask and placed it on the table. He was still nervous about being down in town without anything to hide who he was…

She could tell that he was nervous, but she didn't feel he needed to be. However, she understood. She had learned that he always hid behind a mask, so this had to be difficult for him.  
Reaching over, she placed her hand over his on the table and squeezed it gently. "I don't think anyone will bother us in here. I usually have the library all to myself, especially this time of year."

He nodded. "Alright," he said and glanced around at her giant pile of books on the table. "So what are you doing?"

Belle's hand lingered on his for a brief moment before she went to pick up one of her books. She couldn't help but note his skin wasn't as rough as it looked.  
"Well I was doing research to build an argument before I returned to visit you…"  
She looked at him curiously. "What are _you_ doing here?" She suspected he was out for more pranks like the day at the post office.

"Uh…. I don't know…." he said, looking a little lost.

"You don't know?" Belle repeated. Her face clearly showed she did not believe that poor excuse. He was the Dark One and clearly he liked his solitude. He would not come to town without a reason.

He shook his head. "I have no idea why I'm here… Why I wanted to see you…" he said, looking down at his hands.

Belle paused and tilted her head. "Wait…" She said slowly and disbelievingly. "You came here to see _me_?"

He looked up at her for a few moments. "…Yes…" he said. But why had he wanted to see her in the first place? "I don't know why…"

Belle began to fiddle with her light pink skirt nervously now. He wanted to see her? That surprised and scared her at the same time, yet part of her was also happy about it. "Did you perhaps change your mind about the party?" she suggested. That would certainly take some work away from her.

He shook his head. "No of course not," he said. "I'm not going to that stupid party."

Yes, it wasn't that simple… Perhaps he was fawning over her because she was beautiful. She was accustomed to that: men desperately trying to date her. But it was only because she was beautiful. Once they got to know her a little more they wouldn't want to have anything to do with her. She was odd as they put it.  
Gaston was about the only one who didn't care-or seem to care-but she could never see herself with the likes of that selfish man.  
"Um…well…maybe you just wanted someone to talk to…I mean I know you have Max, but he can't really carry on the best of conversations." She chuckled.

He half smiled. "Max is some of the best company I have," he said. But perhaps she was right; he did need someone to talk to… "But ah… I guess talking would be nice."

Belle nodded and smiled. "Then perhaps we should go somewhere else. The library isn't really a place to talk…"

Rumple swallowed. "Alright…" he said. "Where are we going?"

Belle thought for a moment and briefly forgot whom she was talking to. "Are you hungry? We could go to Granny's…she makes the best hamburgers."

"I don't think it's a good idea for me to be seen," he said shaking his head. "But I am hungry…"

"Oh…I'm sorry. I didn't think of that. Umm.." She placed a finger on her mouth as she pondered an alternate solution. "We could go back to my house…both my father and my roommate are at work now." It was a little out of the ordinary to invite him to her home, but she had been alone with him deep in the mountains. If he was going to try something he already had the perfect opportunity. Besides, she didn't know where else to go where there would be no people besides a park. However, the snow was coming down pretty heavy and it was a bit too cold.

Her house? Oh god… "If… If you're alright with that," he said.

"Well…I'm not sure where to go where there will be no people. There's the park, but it's too cold outside and it is snowing…"

"Your house is fine," he agreed. "Let's go." He grabbed the mask and pulled it back on.

"Have you ever had a hamburger from Granny's," she asked as she gathered her books. "I could go by and pick them up for us if you'd like."

"Hamburgers sound good," he said. "I haven't had one in a long time…"

"Great!" Belle said, glad he was being agreeable. "Let me check these out, then I'll run over to Granny's and meet you outside the diner?"

Rumple nodded. "OK, I'll wait for you outside," he said and he headed out the back door without being seen.

Belle finished gathering her things and slipped on her wool coat before going to the librarian. After everything was taken care of, she slung her purse on her shoulder and carried her books in both hands as she headed out the front of the library and toward Granny's Diner.

Rumple noticed as she left and he followed a few feet behind her. And he also watched as a tall man with dark hair, dressed in a red coat and thick leather boots walked up to Belle and draped an arm around her shoulders. "Hello there Belle," the man said.

Belle inwardly groaned. Gaston again. Why couldn't he understand she didn't want anything to do with him? "Good afternoon, Gaston," she said, ducking under his arm and stepping away from him. She picked up her pace to try and hurry to Granny's. "I'm quite busy today, now if you'll excuse me…"

Rumple's fists clenched as he watched what was going on.

"Wait, where are you going?" Gaston smiled, roughly pulling her back to his side. "What's your rush?"

"I have an appointment," she said, making up an excuse. "I'm meeting with someone and I'm already late."  
It wasn't a complete lie…

"I'm sure they can wait." Gaston smirked and he took the books out of her arms, tossing them to the ground and turning Belle to face him. Rumple was fuming, and suddenly Gaston was flat on his face.

"Gaston, what," Belle said unable to stop him from taking her books. She gasped and stumbled backwards then when Gaston suddenly fell forward right into a slushy mud puddle.  
It was tempting to leave him there, but being the compassionate person she was she couldn't no matter how much she despised him. So she knelt down and gently, but barely tapped his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Gaston groaned and started sitting up. Rumple hurried and gathered her books before he grabbed Belle's arm. "Let's go," he said, starting to lead her away before Gaston could reply.

Belle barely even registered what was going on until she realized that she being dragged away by Rumplestiltskin. "Wait…did you do that?" she asked him as she caught up to his pace. She glanced back to make sure Gaston hadn't seen them and was following along behind.

"He has no right to do that to you," he muttered, pulling her along. They reached the diner. "Now go get the food, I'll make sure he doesn't follow us."

Belle ripped her arm away from him angrily. No man was going to tell her what to do and right now Rumple was acting just like Gaston. "No he doesn't, you're right. But you also have no right to throw him on the ground like that, or to tell me what to do. I can fight my own battles." She looked at him firmly and angrily.

"He was going to hurt you!" Rumple objected with a snappy voice. "I was protecting you, I think a thank you is in order!"

"No he wouldn't," Belle objected. "Gaston has always been like that and I always find a way to dodge him."

"Belle, I could see it in his eyes!" he said. "He wasn't going to take no for an answer this time!"

Belle crossed her arms in front of her, feeling uncomfortable. "You…you don't know that for sure…you've never even met him." She didn't want to believe Rumplestiltskin, not even when it came to Gaston.

"Belle, trust me, he was going to hurt you this time," he said. "Now please, either get the food or let's just go."

Belle took a deep breath. "Alright. I'll go get the food. I'll be back in just a moment." She turned away from him and walked into the front entrance of Granny's, needing a moment alone only to be greeted by Ruby.

"Belle! Hey girl," Ruby smiled. "What are you doing here?"

Belle had taken a few deep breaths to calm down and hopefully she didn't look too disheveled. She smiled at her friend. "I came to pick up lunch," she told her.

"OK, hamburger and ice tea to go?" Ruby smiled.

"Yes…but actually, can you make it two hamburgers?" she requested casually. Hopefully her friend would not ask too many questions about that either. She was not in the mood to answer any. "I'm meeting a friend."

"Ooooh, what friend?" Ruby smiled, looking suspicious and giving her a cheeky look. "Is he cute?"

"What?" Belle's mouth fell open. "I'm not meeting a guy," she quickly said, "No I mean, I am, but he's just a friend, this is not a date!"

"Suuuuure," Ruby smiled and winked. She got the two burgers and gave her the boxes.

"Thank you," Belle said as she took the food. "And it's not a date…he's just a friend. I promise."

Ruby smiled and nodded.

Thank the gods Ruby was not pushing this. Of course she knew that was probably because she was at work and once she was home she would drill her with fifty questions. How the hell was she going to break it to her friend that she had befriended the Dark One? She had never told her of the encounter at the post office or her trip up the mountain.

Rumple was standing outside in the shadows pretending to read a book as he waited for her.  
"I'm ready," she said to Rumplestiltskin once she was outside.

Rumple looked at her and he nodded. He walked away with her. "So where's your house?" he asked. He was a lot calmer now.

"Not too far from here…" She replied, leading the way, "just a few blocks over. It's not much, but it's all we can afford right now." It was also covered in a ridiculous amount of Christmas lights.

He nodded. They arrived and he had to cover his eyes from all the bright lights. "Why the hell is it so bright?"

"I'm sorry." She half smiled. "It's my roommate. I tried to tell her it was too much, but she wouldn't listen. She wants to win a contest."

"Contest of what? Being able to be seen from space contest?" he asked.

Belle burst out laughing, covering her mouth so it wasn't as loud. "No…but she'd probably win one if it existed wouldn't she?"

He chuckled and they headed inside. He looked around the house. He had a grand home on the mountain but this felt different… This felt warm and inviting and… homey…

Belle led him through the living room and into the dining room. Luckily the inside wasn't as hideously decorated as the outside and it was very clean. There was just a small Christmas tree next to the fireplace and a few candles and wreaths throughout the house. "I'm sorry…like I said it's not that big…nothing like you're used to…" she said as she placed the food down on the tiny dining room table that barely sat two. She felt a little embarrassed now. He lived in basically a castle and she had invited him to her home, which was more like a shack.

Rumple shook his head as he wandered around a bit. "No, no…" he said. "I rather like it…"

"Really?" Belle questioned, smiling as she set the table. "But your home is so grand-with all those wonderful things…" She had been drawn to practically everything in his home, wished she had had more time to look around.

"It's more of a house than a home though…" he said. "Yours is a home…"

"Oh…" Belle said understanding what he meant now. "I suppose…" He was lonely…that had to be why he was seeking out her company. "Well perhaps there's something you could do to make it more of a home?"  
She placed the hamburgers down and took a seat in her chair motioning for him to sit as well.

He looked over at her and he sat down with her. "I don't know, I've never really had a home," he told her.

"You haven't?" She asked, both intrigued and concerned. "You don't consider where you live a home or where you grew up?"  
Where did he grow up? Was he from Storybrooke originally? Or somewhere else? Or perhaps he had always lived up on the mountain. She suddenly realized she didn't know much about the lore of the Dark One.

"…No, the place I live isn't a home, it's just a house," he explained. "And I may have lived in town for a while but it's not my home either."

So he had lived in town…that's certainly a rumor-well a truth-that she had never heard before. "What about your family?"

Rumple shook his head. "None, except Max," he said. He looked at the burger and he began to eat. His eyes widened and he smiled. "This is delicious!"

No family and no friends…no wonder he was so lonely. She really wanted to ask him more but they had only just met and she didn't want to scare him off.  
"Yes, I love Granny's burgers!" Belle replied as she sunk her teeth into her own food.

Rumple smiled and continued eating. "So… What do you do?" he asked.

"Oh well…I work at the post office as you may already know…" She grinned at him teasingly before averting her eyes shyly. That was where they had met after all. "But in the summers I help my father with his flower shop as well."

Rumple chuckled at the mention of the post office. "Well sounds like you have a busy life," he said.

Belle shrugged her shoulders. "I suppose…there's really not much to my life but work…"

He looked at her. "So what do you do for fun then?"

"Well…I love to read…" She glanced lovingly at the pile of books on the coffee table. Hopefully, he wouldn't think to poorly of her for liking books-most people did-but she wasn't going to lie about it or change who she was.

He glanced over at the books. "Yeah? I do as well, I have a whole library in my home."

Belle's gaze turned back to Rumple and she nearly dropped her burger as her eyes went wide with excitement. "You do?" His house was so big that he had his own personal library? Well she supposed he did live inside a mountain…

He nodded. "I do," he said. "Maybe I'll show you."

Belle's eyes lit up even brighter. "Really?" she asked for confirmation, hoping that this was not a cruel joke of his.

He shrugged and nodded. "Why not?" he said, seemingly serious.

Belle bit her bottom lip, still not convinced. "S…so it doesn't bother you…that I like to read," she asked meekly.

He looked at her. "Why would that bother me, hell, I helped you get your books back when Gaston tossed them."

"I…I know you helped me, but I just thought you did it to be nice."  
She sighed heavily, trying not to look too depressed. "Most people-not just Gaston-think I'm odd because of my love for books. I ignore it mostly, but I still hear the townspeople talk…"

"I don't see why that would be odd," he said. "You like reading, so what? If anything is odd, it's me."

She wasn't really going to argue with him about him being odd. If fact she probably agreed with him, but she didn't think it was a bad thing he was different. "Well…most people say it isn't right for a woman to read…"  
She sighed again and forced a smile, trying not to think about this. "But I don't care how others feel about me. If I'm odd, then so be it. I will not change who I am to please others."

He looked at her. He could tell she didn't really feel that way. "…You're not that odd to me," he said.

Belle smiled a little brighter, but there was still a hint of sadness behind it. "You're sweet…but you hardly know me."

"Well you seem like a nice person, and you must be something special to get past all of the illusions and Max on my mountain."

Belle smiled with a blush and looked down at her lap. "It wasn't _that_ difficult…" She smiled up at him teasingly. "I think I just have knack for seeing past masks…"  
It was obvious she wasn't just referring to the incidents on the mountain, but to Rumplestiltskin himself.

He looked at her and shook his head. "Maybe, maybe not…"

Belle took the last bite of her burger and smiled at him knowingly when she was finished. "Tell me Rumplestiltskin…am I the only one you've ever removed the mask for?"  
In this instance she was referring to the plastic Halloween mask to reveal his face.

Rumple hesitated before he nodded. "…Yes," he said. "But don't take it too seriously."

But Belle did take it seriously. However, she didn't say anything else on the matter. She knew the post office incident had been an accident, but since then he had removed his mask for her twice in public, and that had to be a very big deal to him, especially if he had never done that before. Perhaps if they became friends he would even open up to her…  
Standing she picked up her empty plate and looked to him, "Finished?" she asked offering to take his dishes to the kitchen.

He nodded and he handed her his plate. "Thank you."

Belle nodded and took the plate before walking into the kitchen. Instead of placing the dishes directly in the sink, she went ahead and washed them and then put them away.

She stepped back in the dining room when she was done and motioned toward the couch in the living area, right next to the fireplace and Christmas tree. "Would you like to go in there where it's more comfortable?" she offered.

He looked at her and he slowly nodded, getting up and going over. "You're sure no one will come home and surprise us?" he asked. He didn't wish to be found…

Belle glanced up at the clock. "No…my father is at work for a few more hours and Ruby is working the night shift."

Rumple nodded and sighed. "Sorry I just.. I don't like to be seen."

"I understand," Belle said, knowing this already. "I can lock the door," she offered. "I case someone were to come home early at least we would have some warning."

He nodded. "Sounds like a good idea."

Belle smiled and walked over to the front door, locking both the knob and the dead bolt. She turned around to face Rumple, waiting for him to sit first.  
"Please make yourself comfortable," she told him. "It's a little chilly so I'm going to run out back to gather some wood for a fire."

"There's no need for that," he said and with the wave of his hand the fire was built and burning strong.

Belle jumped slightly as the fire suddenly roared in the hearth. For several moments she just stared at it as if it wasn't real. She knew magic existed and she also knew that Rumplestiltskin possessed it, but so few in the world did anymore and most had never witnessed it.  
"I've only ever read about magic in my books," she told Rumplestiltskin.

"It's not that impressive once you get used to it," he said, shrugging it off.

"I don't know…I'm not sure I could ever grow used to being able to light a fire with a flick of the wrist or…" she paused and thought about what she was trying to say. "Or…well…what else can you do?"  
She was very intrigued by this whole thing.

"Just about anything," he said. "I can heal, I can conjure anything you can think of, I can turn straw into gold, one of my favorites."

Belle cocked her head at him, looking at him with wonder. " _Straw into gold_? Why straw?" she asked. If he could turn something into gold, why not anything?

He shrugged. "It has a good consistency," he said. "And you don't run out."

Belle giggled, "That's true." She glanced over at the couch again. "Did you not want to sit down?"

He cleared his throat nervously and finally sat down as she suggested. He was not accustomed to this. "So what now?"

Belle walked over and sat next to him, but left a bit of space in between them. She didn't want to make him uncomfortable, well more so than he already was. "Well…you wanted to talk, what do you want to talk about?"

He shrugged. "Honestly I don't know," he said. "I'm not much of a talker."

"Oh," Belle replied and began to bite her bottom lip as she tried to think of something to talk about. "Ok…well why don't you tell me more about yourself?"

"Ah there's not much to tell," he said. "I'd like it if we talked about you."

She blushed again. "Oh I'm sure that's not true…" She thought for a minute more, trying to come up with a compromise. "How about this…I tell you something about myself and then you tell me something about you?"

"Sounds like a fair trade," he said. "You first."

"Alright, we'll start with something easy. My favorite color is blue," she told him.

He chuckled. "Ahhh, well my favorite colors are red and purple."

Belle nodded. "Yes those colors suit you and they look very good on you as well," she said, complementing his red cloak.

He smiled and looked at his cloak. "You think so?" he asked. "Because blue suits you as well."

Belle blushed yet again. That day she was wearing a white blouse and pink skirt, but she had been wearing blue on the day at the post office. "Thank you," she replied softly.

He nodded. "Then its your turn again."

"Yes…" Hmm what else could she tell him? He already knew she liked to read. "My favorite books are by Jules Vern."

He half smiled. "I'm partial to Victor Hugo myself, " he said.

"Oh I do like his books as well…particularly the Hunchback of Notre Dame…" The dreamiest look crossed Belle's face as she thought about books.

"I like Les Miserables," he said. "I guess I like the suffering, I don't know…"

He liked the suffering? She had a feeling this stemmed deeper than just a like for the book. "Les Miserables is a good book. I haven't read it in a long time though…"

"Well maybe I'll let you borrow a copy," he offered.

"I would like that," Belle replied. What she really would like though would be to have a chance to go through his library, but she wasn't going to be rude and ask. He had offered though… She took a deep breath and dared to ask, "So does this mean you plan to see me again?"

He looked at her and he stopped. "….I… I guess so…" he said. He would like to see her again if he could. "After all, you said you were trying to convince me to go to the Christmas party. And I am no where near agreeing to go."

Belle giggled. Slipping her heels off, she tucked her feet up under her, making herself more comfortable. "I do still have some work to do on that. As you may have noticed I'm still building my argument." She pointed to the stack of books he carried home for her.

He looked over at the books. "What are they anyway?"

"Just books on the history of Christmas," she explained.

"Why would I need to know this history of Christmas?" he asked, skeptical.

"Oh…um…I don't know…" In all honesty, she had no idea how to go about convincing him, but she didn't want to admit that. "I just thought I could find something helpful in one of them…"

He shook his head. "Ridiculous," he scoffed.

Belle furrowed her brow at him. "Ridiculous?" she repeated with a hint of agitation. Perhaps he did think her weird for her love of books. "I always turn to my books when a problem needs solving." She held her head high, proud of her choice.

"Yes but why should you turn to history to convince me?"

Belle bit her lip nervously, debating whether to tell him the truth or not. She averted her eyes down to her lap and twiddled with her skirt.  
"Because I honestly don't know how to convince you…I thought it was a good starting point," she admitted in a very soft voice.

He looked at her. He wanted to laugh, he really did, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. "Well I guess you'll have to keep working at that then," he said. It wasn't to tease her, or to mock her.

He wanted her to continue? Was he joking? It didn't appear that way… She smiled just a little. "I will…" She then looked at him sternly, but playfully. "However you can't question my methods-at least before I have a chance to argue my point."

He rolled his eyes a bit but he smiled. "Fine," he said. "I promise I won't."

"Good," Belle replied as she settled back against the couch. She continued to twirl her skirt in her hands and she briefly looked up at him through her lashes with a smile. "You know you could just save me all the trouble and just agree to go…"

"Now why would I do that?" he smirked. "It's more fun this way."

"To make it easier for me of course…" She narrowed her eyes at him. "You must like watching me struggle and beg…"

"It has a certain appeal," he said with a sneer.

Belle looked at him defiantly. "Well, when you finally change your mind, I suppose it will all be worth it."

"Good luck trying," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Well…perhaps you could just tell me what I could do to change your mind?" she asked.

"Because I honestly don't know what you can do to change my mind," he said with a smile.

Belle nodded, not certain if she believed him or not. He seemed to be toying with her. There was something, she knew it, she just had to figure out what. "Very well…I'll keep working…in the meantime, I believe it is my turn."

He nodded. "Go ahead. What else are we talking about?"

Belle took a deep breath and thought of something else she could tell him so that they could get to know each other. "Hmm…well I've always wanted to travel…to see the world…" She began to get another dreamy look on her face. "There's so many places in my books I've always wanted to visit…France…Italy…London…China…"

He smiled softly. "An adventurer, eh?" he said. "I've never really been one for travel, I like my home."

Belle nodded, not surprised. He didn't like to be seen by anyone, why would he care to go places?  
She smiled weakly. "It doesn't matter I guess…I doubt I'll ever make it outside Storybrooke's town line. I can dream though…"

He looked at her. "Why do you think that?" he asked with genuine curiosity.

She glanced around her home, in a manner to get him to open his eyes. "It's fairly obvious that we don't have any money…we barely make the bills each month, living check to check. And even if you don't care to travel, you should know it takes money-a good bit of it. But money aside…" She sighed and glanced down at her lap. "I couldn't leave my father either. Ever since mother died he has not been the same. He acts like everything is fine, but at times I can see it in his eyes or hear it in his voice…" She could feel some tears threatening to form thinking about her mom, but she managed to hold them back.

He watched her as she spoke. She had lost her mom… Before he knew what he was doing, he took her hands in his. "…I'm sorry," he said softly. "Even with my magic, I can't bring back the dead…."

Belle was slightly startled by his action, but she did not pull away. Looking up into his eyes, she forced herself to smile at his kind gesture. "Oh no…I didn't mean to make you think I was asking for something like that. I may not know much about magic, but I've never read about the dead being brought back to life."

"But I am sorry," he said and hesitated, thinking about what happened with his father many years ago, something he usually refused to do. Under no circumstances did he want to bring that up though. "I ah… I don't actually have any parents or anything so I don't know how it feels to lose them, but I'm still sorry."

Belle looked at him curiously. "You don't remember either of your parents?" she asked softly.

"I didn't have any in the first place," he said. "I don't have anyone."

Belle was so confused. "But you had to come from somewhere…everyone has parents…"  
She understood that he didn't have anyone now, but she didn't understand what he meant about never having parents.

He shook his head. "No, I was made with magic," he lied in a manner where it was almost impossible to tell. It was easy to do so when he truly believed it himself. "An element of darkness. I wasn't born."

Belle's mouth fell open in shock. "Oh…" She understood now and she felt horrible for him. She looked at him sadly. "I'm so sorry…" To never have parents or a family…he had to be lonelier than she thought.

He shook his head. "Honestly I think it's better," he said. "So I don't have to be held back by someone."

"Is that why you like being alone?" she asked not even realizing she might be stepping over the line. She just found she wanted to know so much more about the Dark One. He intrigued her so much. "Why you don't want anyone to see you or make any friends?"

He cleared his throat as he became very uncomfortable. The past was not something he liked to remember and definitely not discuss. "….I think that's enough questions for now…"

"Oh…" Belle was disappointed and realizing they were still holding hands, she slowly pulled away.  
Belle didn't want to give up on him now though, and she opened her mouth to say something else. However, she was interrupted by the sound of the lock clicking at the front door.  
"Belle?" Called a manly voice, confused.  
Belle gasped, "My father!"

Rumplestiltskin's eyes widened and he glanced behind him. "I'll see you another day," Rumple whispered before he suddenly disappeared from the room.

Belle's eyes widened as she watched him disappear right before her eyes. It was shocking to see something like that and she just stared blankly at the spot the Dark One had just been sitting as her father stepped into the room.


	5. Chapter 5

"Belle, there you are," Maurice said as he stepped into the house and closed the door behind him. "Have you been home the whole time?"

Belle nodded her head, trying not to look to awkward sitting there in the living room. "Yes, I just got home from the library about an hour ago."

"Alright, well we better start getting dinner ready."

"Oh well I actually…" Belle stood to her feet. "I just ate. I stopped at Granny's and grabbed a burger."

"Oh," Maurice nodded and thought for a moment. "Well I'm going to make something for myself." He went into the kitchen to look for something to prepare.

"Alright," Belle said, feeling relief. She was worried he suspected something, but why would he? She had given him no reason to.

She walked over and collected her library books from the table. "I think I'll go to my room to read," she told him and headed that way. After spending an afternoon with the Dark One, something no one in town could say except for her, Belle was more curious than ever about him and more determined to change his mind about this Christmas party. She was also nervous about being drilled with questions by her father and didn't want to hang around.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was a few days later and Rumple thought that he would stop thinking about Belle by now, but he couldn't.. Just…. Why?

Belle was feeling the same way, only she knew why she kept thinking about him. She had to change his mind if it was the last thing that she did. Her next few days were spent doing her research just like she planned.. After spending time with him, she was even more excited about convincing him then she had been before, but she was still feeling discouraged even after reading all her books. She honestly had no idea what to do. And it had been a few days since Rumple had visited and she wasn't sure he would visit again. It was in her hands if she was going to convince him she knew it wasn't going if she continued to sit alone in her room pouring over books. So early one morning she dressed accordingly and set off toward the Dark One's mountain, encountering the same illusions that she had before. Only now she knew they were nothing to be afraid of.

Rumple felt his barriers ripple again as he felt someone approaching his mountain. His heart kept at the thought that it might be Belle again.

Max's head shot up when he saw that his master sensed something. His master seemed excited and lately he hadn't been acting like himself-not since that pretty girl that smelled so good had come for a visit.  
Sitting all the way up, he barked once trying to get Master to tell him what was going on.

Rumple looked down at Max and shook his head, half smiling. "Well go on, go say hi," he said., knowing for a fact it was Belle approaching the front door. Max hurried off and bounded to meet the girl.

Before Belle even had time to think about how she was going to let the Dark One know she was standing outside, the front door opened for her. Seconds later she was being bombarded by Max who was climbing all over her a licking her face.  
Belle began to giggle and tried to get him to calm down so he wouldn't knock her over. "I'm glad to see you too," she said.

Max barked at her and then Rumple came up to them. "I see you're back…."

"Yes," Belle replied, smiling up at him. "I only have a few weeks to convince you…I can't do that if I never see you."

He half smiled at her and gestured for her to come in. "Well it's good to see you again."

Belle could feel her heart flutter. He did want her company just like she wanted his. That was something she never thought would happen-at least from him. She followed him in to the main room, Max trotting along beside her. "Do you mind if I remove my coat?" she asked. It was quite toasty inside the mountain, which she attributed it to the magic.

"Don't mind at all," he said and he actually helped her with her coat before leading her back down to the main hall of his home. "How have you been?"

Belle was surprised when he took her coat, but she didn't object. It actually made her smile.  
"Well, thank you," she replied as she kept up her pace behind him. She also straightened out her dress too. That day she wore a bright green textured dress that buttoned all the way down the front and fell just above her knees. She wore a black blazer over the top of it and a pair of black leggings for warmth along with her tall boots meant for hiking.  
"And you? Max?"

She looked…. Lovely. Very very lovely. He cleared his throat. "….You didn't answer my question…" he said.

Belle stopped and looked up at him curiously. "What?" she asked him feeling confused. Did he ask her something and she didn't hear? He was staring at her…

He cleared his throat and shook his head. "Sorry," he said. "Never mind. Ah, we've been doing well."

She tilted her head, looking at him trying to figure him out. Was he distracted? She couldn't tell. "That's great," she replied.

He nodded and he walked over to sit on the stool of the spinning wheel while Max curled at his feet.

Belle felt nervous, why was she nervous? It was showing too as she began to twirl her hands in front of her. The entire trip there she thought of what she was going to say, but now she had completely forgotten everything. She needed to strike up the conversation; after all she was the one who visited him.  
"So is this where you spin gold?" she asked lamely. Oh gods of course it was-how many spinning wheels could he possibly own?

"Oh yes," he said. "I have a few wheels around here but this one is my favorite."

Oh thank goodness. She didn't feel so silly now for having asked such a ridiculous question. "Where did you learn to spin?" she asked, becoming more curious about him.

"I don't know, I just know how," he shrugged.

Belle furrowed her brow, unable to believe that. Was he trying to shut her out again? She hadn't asked him anything personal. "So you're saying you sat down at a spinning wheel one day and just started spinning gold?"

"Well I had to experiment with many things, it took time to figure out what I could do."

Belle still didn't think he was telling her everything, but she knew with time he might open up to her once he saw she truly was his friend.  
Walking over to the spinning wheel, she examined it closer. "Will you show me? I've never seen anyone spin before. I'm curious how it works."

He nodded. "….Would you like me to teach you?" he asked.

Belle's eyes brightened. "Would you?" She asked, hoping his offer was sincere.

He nodded and got off the stool, patting it for her to sit down. "Have a seat. It's fairly easy."

Smiling at him, Belle walked over and sat down, fixing her dress modestly. She looked over the wheel and waited for him to instruct her.

He smiled softly and he knelt behind her, taking her hands and guiding her and teaching her how to spin. His heart was racing from how close they were…

Belle felt herself holding her breath. She hadn't expected him to get so close to her and she didn't even understand why it mattered. She tried to concentrate on what he was doing and saying, but all she could think about was how his hands were on hers, how he was leaning up against her, and how his intoxicating scent was overtaking her nostrils.

Once he thought she got the hang of it, he pulled away, instantly missing her warmth and her scent… "Think you have it now?" he asked.

The moment he pulled away, Belle felt like she could breathe again, although she did feel a tinge of disappointment. What was wrong with her?  
"Um…yes, I think so," she said averting her eyes, feeling like she was blushing. "Thank you for showing me. I can see how this could be soothing."

He nodded. "It's very soothing," he said. "I'm glad you like it." He smiled at her for a bit…

Belle could feel his eyes on her and she blushed even harder. She didn't know why. It was completely normal. But she was staring up at him too. She needed to say something…but what could she say?

They stood there, starting at each other for the longest moment before he finally cleared his throat and took another step back. "Ah… Did you want to see the library?" he asked trying to break the uncomfortable silence.

The library…Belle had completely forgotten about the library! How could she? Her face lit up brighter than it ever had. "Yes!" she exclaimed sounding overly excited.

He smiled and taking her arm he led her down a few turns and statues before he came to two huge wooden doors. He pushed them open and before them was a maze of a library, shelves and shelves of books and sofas to sit and read, but no windows to the outside world. Magic was used to light the room because it was so large the torches were not sufficient enough.

The moment the doors were open and Belle laid eyes on all those books, more books she had ever seen, she nearly fainted. She stood unsure of even where to look first, but she knew her mouth was hanging open and she was gawking. "T…these are all yours…this is real?" she asked breathlessly. Any moment now she was about to wake up and realize it was just a dream.

He chuckled. "Yes, this is all real," he said. "Go ahead and have a look around and you can take home whatever ones you want."

Belle turned to look at him with wide eyes as if she didn't hear him correctly. "Oh no…I couldn't do that…they are your books…"

"And I'm letting you take what you want," he insisted. "Odds are I've already read the book."

Not wanting to object, Belle began to slowly wander through the bookshelves unsure of where she even wanted to start looking first. She let her hand run along the bindings of all the tomes as she examined them. "You've read all these books…but there's so many!"

"I have a lot of free time,"

Belle nodded her head, knowing that was probably true. He lived here all alone and never visited the town or had any visitors-at least until now. And while he did go to the town to play pranks, from what she could tell was that was only during Christmas. Apparently reading and spinning was what he did the rest of the year. She wondered if he had any more hobbies.  
Finally picking an isle, she began to read the titles. "Oh you have ALL the classics! Oh and first editions! And look at these!" Belle was literally in heaven. She had no idea where to even start.

He smiled as he followed her. "Well when you have magic you find you can travel to all sorts of places, abandoned libraries for example."

Belle had begun to pull an appetizing book off the shelf, but paused when she heard him. She turned her head to look directlyat him, cocking a eyebrow at him suspiciously. "I thought you didn't travel…"

"Did I say that?" he asked, trying to remember. "Well, I think I said I didn't like traveling…"

"Oh…then I must have misheard…" She turned her attentions back to the books and bit her bottom lip, her attentions torn between him and the books. "S…so you've traveled a lot of places?"

"I have," he said. "Not a great deal of distance, but there's not much to say about it anyway."

"Really?" Gods how she desperately wanted to hear more about it, but he didn't seem to want to give. She had always wanted to travel and her books had always been the only means to do so. She pulled a couple books off the shelf. "I would love to hear about it nonetheless…"

"I thought you wanted to read…." he said.

"Well," she said as she continued to pull down more books. The pile was getting rather large and she was still on the first isle. "You said I could borrow these books." He never actually said borrow, she wasn't sure if he meant that or for her to keep forever, but nonetheless she chose the word borrow. "I can read plenty when I'm alone. When I'm here I'm sure you prefer to spend time with me, to talk, not sit around and watch me read."

He cleared his throat. "Well…. If you want," he said. "But I'm not a great talker…"

"We don't have to if you would prefer not to..." She didn't want him to feel like she was forcing him; all she wanted was for him to feel comfortable around her. However, she knew she would be disappointed if he said no. She really wanted to hear about his travels.

Rumple half smiled. "Well, I guess just one story," he said and he walked over to sit on one of the couches.

He was agreeing to it? Belle was excited! Setting her books down, she walked over to the couch and settled down next to him. She smiled brightly waiting for him to speak.

He chuckled and cleared his throat. He spoke about going across some of the states, about all of the abandoned libraries he had gone to. He described some beautiful scenes he thought she would like, like the sunsets on the mountains and canyons. And he told her about the items he had collected, like precious stones and exotic plants.

Belle listened to every word he had to say intently, asking question after question, wanting to know every thing she possibly could while he was willing to tell. The look in her eyes was dreamy and she wanted nothing more to hear all, but he had only promised her the one story and she wasn't going to push. "That sounds wonderful," she told him when he was through. "You're so lucky."

He found he rather liked seeing her this happy, and he liked that dreamy look she got when he spoke of his travels. He couldn't stop smiling at her. "Well, maybe one of these days I'll take you with me…"

Belle inhaled sharply and almost stopped breathing altogether. Had she heard him correctly? Did he mean it if she had? She looked at him with wide eyes. "Y…you mean that? …But…why?" She began to shake her head and look away. "No I could never ask that of you."

"I would like to," he offered. "Really. Maybe the company would do me good next time…"

Belle could feel a blush creep up on her cheeks and she still didn't understand why. "Oh so you are enjoying my company," she said with a hint of teasing in her tone.

He chuckled. "I don't think I said that I don't…"

Belle giggled lightly. "Well, you have made quite the point that you prefer solitude…" She sighed, not letting the smile fade from her face. "But here I am…"

"…I'm glad you're here," he said. "I do like having you around…"

"And I enjoy it here, with you…and Max…" She quickly added the last part so it didn't seem so awkward.

He chuckled. "Well Max likes you too," he said as he patted the wolf's head.

Max perked up after hearing his name. He licked his lips and whimpered wanting more attention now.  
Belle wasn't willing to deny him, so she leaned forward to pet him herself.

Rumple smiled but as she bent forward he was able to unintentionally catch a glimpse down the front of her dress and his breath caught. He was pretty sure he would turn red if his skin was normal. He quickly looked away and started flipping through one of the books she had.

For a few minutes, Belle showered her attentions on Max, until she decided she couldn't keep away from the books anymore. She looked up at Rumple and smiled shyly. "If you don't mind I'd like to go look at the books again."

"Go ahead," he nodded, still looking at one of the books. He couldn't look at her directly.

Beaming, Belle hopped up and went over to the spot she had left earlier, scanning the titles for anything that interested her.  
She added a few more books to her pile and stuck to looking at the bottom shelves, that was until a specific book caught her eye that was close to the top of the bookcase.  
Going down to the edge of the bookcase, she grabbed the ladder and slid it over so she could climb up and retrieve it.

Rumple would glance up at her every once in a while as she wandered around. When she grabbed the ladder he became a little nervous. "…What are you doing?" he asked as he slowly headed over.

She chuckled and looked at him like he was silly for asking such a question. "Getting a book off the top shelf. If you haven't noticed I'm not that tall…" She giggled again as she steadied the ladder and begun to climb it once she was sure it was secure.

He chuckled and looked up at her on the ladder and once again he caught a glimpse of something he shouldn't have. From this angle he could see directlyup her skirt, following her creamy legs all the way to her perky little bum. Oh gods help him. He swallowed thickly and quickly looked away.

Belle had absolutely no idea what he had accidentally seen, nor did the possibility even occur to her. She was too focused on the book, which was just far enough out of reach that she had to stretch for it. The ladder was as far over as it could go, but luckily her fingers grazed the side of the tome enough where she could pry it from its location. Just as she grinned in triumph though, one of the rungs of the ladder gave way under her foot, causing her to lose her balance. Unable to regain her footing she gasped as she went sprawling toward the floor along with the book and a few others.

His eyes widened when he saw her tumbling and without thinking his arms went out to catch her. She fell into his arms and he stumbled a bit, holding her close to him. He couldn't let her get hurt. He held her close and he looked at her, his eyes wide and his breath short. She was so damn beautiful…

Belle had already braced herself to hit the floor and she was ready for the pain that would come. However, she was not expecting Rumple to catch her like he did even though he was standing right there.  
When he did though, it took her a moment to register what had happened, and slowly she opened her tightly shut eyes.  
Her mouth fell open when the first thing she saw was his face, followed by his deep brown eyes with flecks of gold.  
She took a few breaths and momentarily forgot what had just happened. All she could do it that moment was stare at him. She had never been this close to him before and for the first time she could see the true detail of his face and unique skin. It was different for sure, but the gold green color did not bother her one bit. Neither did the texture…although it looked rough, she wondered if it was softer than it appeared, but even this close to him she still did not feel right touching him without permission.

His eyes met hers and his breath caught. Her eyes seemed to twinkle in the light. Her lips looked so soft… He almost leaned to kiss her but he set her down rather quickly and stepped away, swallowing thickly. He instantly missed her heat…

Belle was still partially in shock when he set her down and when she truly realized what he had done for her she didn't stop to think before suddenly throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him close in a hug. "Thank you," she whispered softly and with all the gratitude she had.

He was not expecting her hug, not in the least, and his muscles were stiff as she hugged him. His mind was racing, as well as his heart, but he couldn't get himself to hug her back. "….No matter," he said weakly.

It was a little awkward to hug him, especially with the tall collar around his neck from his vest, but what truly made it more awkward was the fact that he did not hug her back.  
Realizing her lapse in judgment, she quickly pulled away and averted her eyes. She knew her cheeks were bright red but there was nothing she could do to change that. "I…uh…I should probably go home…it's getting late."

He cleared his throat and straightened his jacket. "Ah… If that's what you want…" he said. "Ah, Max can walk you out…"

"Oh yes…" She glanced over at the wolf and frowned at the suggestion. The hug was a horrible idea, but she had not been thinking. Now things were weird between them when they shouldn't be.  
She sighed and walked over to her pile of books. "It will be fun trying to tote these down the mountain," she said with sarcasm with the hopes that it took the light off of her stupid action.

He cleared his throat again and he conjured her a bag that she could carry all of the books in and it wouldn't feel heavy. "Here…." he said.

"Thank you," she said gratefully, taking the gift. She hadn't intended her comment to mean for him to give her something else, but once she put the books in the bag and realized they weighed practically nothing she was even more thankful.  
"Magic is incredible!" she exclaimed as she lifted the bag up and down, amazed by the difference in weight.

He chuckled. "Well I'm glad I could help," he said. "Now run along. I'll see you another time."

Belle nodded, still feeling a tinge of disappointment because he wouldn't walk her out. But it was her own fault for being impulsive.  
"Good day, Rumplestiltskin, until next time."  
Max happily jumped up then and went to her side, following her all the way to the front door and not letting her leave until he had been thoroughly loved on.

Rumple half smiled and watched her go. "Good day…." he said softly.

It took Belle longer to get out the front door than she thought it would. Max seemed intent on not letting her go, begging to be pet and insisting on licking her death when she tried to back away.  
"Max, I will see you again," she promised with a giggle, "but for now you must let me go…"  
She couldn't remain up on the mountain all day. Not only would her family get suspicious, but also she knew Rumple would not be happy about that.  
Reluctantly, Max gave her one last big puppy dog kiss and stood there at the top watching her until she was no longer in sight.  
He then retreated back into the cave and went to be with his Master.

Rumple had finished putting all of the fallen books back when Max returned and he looked over at the wolf. He patted his head.

Max showed his Master he enjoyed the affection and after licking Rumple's hand he sat down and looked at him with sad puppy eyes in a way to ask his Master why he sent the pretty lady away.

Rumple looked down at him. "Don't look at me like that," he said. "She needed to go home anyway."

Max whimpered and licked his lips, looking even more disappointed. He whimpered again in a way to ask why.

"She doesn't belong up here with us," he said. "She needed to go home. It's not like we'll never see her again."

Max whimpered yet again and put his face down on his paws like he was pouting. He hoped he would see her again. He liked her a lot and his master liked her too. The master never liked anyone, but he could see why he liked her. She smelled good and tasted like strawberries.

"Stop that," he said, annoyed with the dogs pouting ways. "She doesn't want to stay here with us."

Max quickly sat back up on and barked loudly in a manner that showed he was arguing as if saying 'yes she would.'  
Even Max could see how the pretty ladies' eyes lit up when she saw the library and he could see the sparkle in her eye when the Master spent time with her.

"Don't contradict me, she doesn't even like me. She likes you, sure, but not me."

Max barked a couple of times this time clearly denying his Master's response. The pretty lady liked both of them; he was sure.

"You're wrong," he growled and turned to leave the room fed up with the wolf. "Why on earth would she like me? I'm the Dark One, I don't live happily ever after." It was hard to tell if he was trying to convince Max or himself, but he disappeared as usual to go off and wallow in his own pity.

Max whimpered again and looked at his master sadly as he left. He was wrong about this girl, very wrong and hopefully his Master would come to see that.


	6. Chapter 6

Over the next few days, Belle was so excited about all the books she brought home that she could barely concentrate on anything else. It was hard to force herself to do anything but read. But the exciting plots weren't the only thing that drew her to them, but also the look, feel, and smells. They reminded her of being in Rumplestiltskin's home, back in that humongous library.  
It had been a few days since she had been there and she was growing anxious to see him again: more so than she wanted to admit. However, after her silly impulsive hug, she doubted he wanted her to return, especially if she couldn't respect his boundaries.

But she was wrong. He was missing her so much… Why did he miss her so damn much?! He wanted to go see her again, but he also fought with himself, trying to deny the fact and not letting himself do so. Finally giving in to his impulses, Rumple headed back to town with the mask on and went to look for her.

That evening Belle had managed to pull herself away from the books long enough to help her father with an errand. A few of the shops in town had ordered fresh poinsettias-the only flower they sold this time of year-and Belle had agreed to deliver them.  
As Belle strolled through town toward the bakery with the last pot of flowers to deliver, she watched the other people around her. Everyone was so happy and seemed so overjoyed that Christmas was coming. But all she could hear them talk about was the food they were going to eat and the presents they wanted.  
She sighed heavily. Surely there was more to Christmas than that, but what? She still had not been able to determine it. She couldn't even come up with a way to get Rumple to attend the town Christmas party.  
The thought of Rumple caused her to pause and glance up at his mountain. From where she was standing she could clearly see it through the light snowfall. She smiled ever so slightly, but sadly. She longed so much to go see him again, but she was afraid that he didn't want her and she didn't want to keep pushing her luck. She sighed heavily and continued walking, setting her sights on the bakery.

Rumple finally found her walking along the sidewalk and he snuck up behind her, stepping up to her side. He didn't say anything; he just took her hand.

Belle gasped at the stranger suddenly grabbing her hand and in response, she dropped the poinsettia and jumped away from him.  
"What do you want," she exclaimed, not immediately seeing who it was.

"Belle it's me, calm down," he said. He hadn't expected her to jump like that.

"Oh, Rumple," Belle relaxed and placed her hand over her chest. "You startled me. You really need to stop doing that… And get another mask… Or do away with the mask altogether and then I'll know it's you." She had told him before that she preferred his face to that silly mask.

"You know I can't be seen. And why would I need another mask anyways?" He picked up the flowers she had dropped and handed them to her. Luckily they weren't damaged.

Oh that's right…couldn't be seen. Perhaps though if she could get him to go to the party he and the townspeople would feel more comfortable with each other…then he could remove the mask.  
"Thank you," she said taking the flowers and went on to explain herself.  
"That mask is a little creepy…what is it anyway?"

"It's a beast," he said, pointing at the fangs. "Like me."

Belle cocked an eyebrow and tilted her head, looking at him skeptically. "You are not a beast."

"Of course I am, I'm the Dark One," he said. "There's no point denying it."

Belle giggled. "You can try all you want Rumple," she said, using a nickname for the first time, "but there's no fooling me. I've seen the real you and he's nothing close to a beast."

"That's because you haven't seen the real me then," he said.

Belle giggled again. "Whatever you say."  
She glanced down at her flowers and then back up at him. "I need to deliver these to the bakery. What about you…why are you in town?"

He swallowed a bit. "….I wanted to see you…"

Belle felt her heart skip a beat and she smiled brightly. "Really?" She asked as butterflies began to fill her stomach. He had told her that last time he came to town, but this time felt different and she didn't understand why. "I was uh…I was worried you wanted me to stay away." Her face turned crimson red and she averted her eyes downward. "After…um…the incident in the library…"

He cleared his throat again. "Oh, no, no!" he objected. "You-You thought I didn't want you around because of that? That's not true at all!"

"Really?" Belle said, her face brightening just a little more and her cheeks growing redder. She chanced a glance up at him, briefly forgetting the mask was on. With the mask, though she couldn't gauge his reaction at all.  
"I'm glad," she told him with relief. She glanced at the flowers again.  
"I need to run these into the bakery-wait for me out here?"

He cleared his throat and nodded. "Yes of course."

Belle nodded and happily took the flowers into the bakery to deliver them as promised.  
And the moment she stepped inside she caught whiff of the most scrumptious red velvet muffins, decorated with little edible Christmas trees. Since they were fresh out of the oven, Belle couldn't help but purchase a couple, one for her and Rumple, hoping he would enjoy it.  
Stepping back outside, Belle returned to the spot she had met Rumple.  
"I brought a treat," she said, holding up the bag. "Let's find a place to eat it."

He nodded again. He wondered what she had purchased as they walked together. "Where can we eat where no one will see us?"

"Well it's getting late and it's a weeknight…do you want to try the park? Most of the children will probably be home by now."

He swallowed. "I… I'm not sure…" he said. "As long as there's no people, then OK."

"Alright…follow me then, it's not far," she said and turned to began walking in that direction. There were still a few people out on the streets, mainly late night shoppers, but most of the stores would be closing soon.  
Belle wasn't sure how late she would be out with Rumple, but hopefully her father wouldn't worry or wonder where she was.

Rumple hesitantly took her hand as they walked and they reached the park. There wasn't anyone around, and to be sure he swept the place with magic. No one. He hesitantly took off his mask so Belle could see his face.

Belle was a little shocked when he chose to hold her hand as they walked but she didn't object at all. Instead, she squeezed his hand and led the way.  
When he took off the mask Belle looked at him relieved. She hated that mask, honestly. "There's a picnic table someone has already cleaned off," Belle said pointing at one free of snow.

Rumple nodded and they headed to the table. "So what have you gotten for us?" he asked as he sat across from her.

"Just a small treat from the bakery," Belle replied as she sat down. She opened the bag and pulled out the muffins, handing one to him. She also had two bottles of milk-hopefully he liked milk. "They were fresh out of the oven!"

Rumple looked at the muffins and frowned. "They're…. Christmas…."

"Yes," Belle glanced down at them, having forgot how he felt about Christmas. Surely that wouldn't keep him from eating them…"A lot of the baked goods are themed this time of year…but that doesn't take away from how delicious they taste!"  
Belle began to peel away the paper and took the first bite. "Mmmmmm…VERY delicious indeed."

He swallowed and sighed. He slowly reached and took his muffin. He took a bite. It did taste very good…

After finishing hers, Belle watched Rumple carefully as he ate. "Do you like it?"

He cleared his throat and slowly nodded. "It does taste good," he agreed.

Belle smiled and began to eat the rest of her muffin. As she ate she suddenly had an idea…one that might help Rumple get in the Christmas spirit. Perhaps he would really enjoy some Christmas activities such as baking cookies. Maybe next time she visited him she could bring all the supplies…  
She wouldn't mention it to him beforehand though. She feared he would turn her down. No it would have to be a surprise…  
"So you don't mind if I continue to visit you?" she asked still weary about the hug.

"Not at all," he said. "Why would I mind?"

Belle bit her bottom lip. "Well…you told me before you don't like company and I don't want to keep bothering you…"

He looked at her and he placed his hand on hers. "Belle, if… If I didn't want your company, I wouldn't seek it."

Belle smiled up at him. "Yes that's true…I just wanted to be sure."

He nodded and finished his muffin. "It's very good," he said. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Belle replied. She reached in the bag and pulled out the two milk bottles. "Would you like some milk to wash it down?"

He nodded. "Thank you," he said and he took his milk bottle.

"You're welcome," she said yet again. After she finished her muffin and drank all her milk, she glanced out over the park. There was a fairly nice sized playground on one side and a large meadow for the children to play in. The entire area was surrounded by trees and there were a couple of trails, one which she knew led back to the lake. Everything was so beautiful covered in snow.  
"I've always loved the snow," she commented.

He looked at their surroundings and nodded. "I did too, that's why I chose to live up in that mountain."

"I have many fond memories of playing in the snow with mother…well Papa too…but you could tell he only did it to make us happy. My mother on the other hand-she enjoyed it ever so much, throwing snowballs, building snowmen, ice skating…sometimes it was harder to get her to come inside than it was me…" Belle smiled as she reminisced. She glanced over at Rumple. "What do you like about it?"

He smiled at her memories. He forgot that she had lost her mother… "I like the pureness of it, the white… I like the way it just floats down to the ground, silently, unlike rain…. It's very peaceful."

"Yes it is…" Belle replied, having never thought of it like that. She stared longingly at the snowflakes as a few flurries floated down out of the sky. Suddenly she had an idea. "Hey, would you like to take a walk-just enjoy the scenery? There are a few trails around and I doubt anyone will be out this late."  
The sun had almost completely set and if it were anyone else Belle might have never suggested it due to the danger, but she felt safe with Rumple-very safe. No one would dare mess with the Dark One.

He thought about it for a minute. If someone should see him, he could always just put the mask back on… "…..Alright."

"Great!" Belle exclaimed and hopped to her feet. She disposed of the trash in a nearby trashcan and then waited for him to join her. She wasn't going to take his hand-she would leave that up to him-but secretly she hoped that he would.

He got up and took her hand again without even thinking. He smiled at her a bit as they began to walk, not realizing he had left his mask on the table.

Her heart began to beat a little faster when he just took her hand. She knew she shouldn't think much of it, but she couldn't help but wish just a little bit-but what exactly was she wishing for? She wasn't quite sure…  
Squeezing his hand she led the way to one of the more popular trails she knew would be easy to walk. It would also take them past the lake-which was a gorgeous sight this time of year because it was frozen over.

Rumple looked around the trails as they walked. It was quite peaceful out there, and he was glad that she was there with him…

Belle concentrated on the surroundings mostly, but every time she chanced a glance at Rumple and made eye contact with him she blushed and quickly looked away without really understanding why. "Did you ever play in the snow?" she asked trying to strike up conversation and break the silence.

He cleared his throat. "Well sometimes," he told her. "I can make snowmen with magic."

"You can?" Belle asked, intrigued. She had seen him do a couple of things with magic, but not much.

He nodded and with the wave of his hand and a swirl of snow, a small snowman was standing right in front of them.

Belle gasped and watched with awe as the snowman magically appeared right in front of her. It was literally the most perfect snowman she had ever seen.  
Belle let go of Rumple's hand just so she could walk around and admire it.  
"This is wonderful Rumple and amazing," she paused and glanced over at him, "but wouldn't it be fun to build one yourself?"

He shrugged. "This way is easier," he said. He didn't want to admit that he had never made an actual snowman before.

"Yes," she said understandably, "but part of the fun is making it from scratch and seeing what you can do."  
She walked over to him and placed her gloved hands in his. Looking up at him, she smiled brightly. "Do you want to build a snowman with me? Without magic?"

He looked at her and swallowed. "Uh… OK…" he agreed. He could just follow her movements; it'll be fine.

"Come on," she said letting go of one of his hands and pulling him along. "I really think you'll enjoy it."  
She led him out into the middle of the field and released his hand so she could bend down and get a snowball started.

He followed her and he knelt on the ground, following her movements.

"Would you like to make the head, body, or bottom?" she asked.

He cleared his throat. "Ah… Let's start from the bottom up."

"No, I mean which one would you rather make? I'm making one and you are doing the other- whoever does the head I suppose can do the third part since the head is usually quick," Belle explained as she continued working her snowball around to make it bigger.

He cleared his throat. "Uh… The bottom then…" He was not so sure of this.

"Great!" Belle exclaimed. She continued working diligently until the snowball was sufficient size to be the head. She then began a second ball, ready to make the middle.

He continued watching her, doing as she did and he saw how small the head was. He started rolling the bottom one around in the show, making it bigger than hers.

Before she knew it, Belle was done with both the head and the middle. Now all that was left was to put the pieces together. She looked to Rumple, seeing that he was not finished with his part.

She stood and brushed the snow off her gloves and knees while she waited. He was a little slow, but she didn't mind. Obviously he wasn't accustomed to doing this without magic.

He finally finished and stood up. "Now what?" he asked.

Belle looked at him curiously. Had he NEVER done this before? She knew he preferred magic, but she just assumed that he had at least tried. She wasn't going to say anything though-she wanted him to have fun, not embarrass him. "Well-we figure out where we want to put him and then we assemble and decorate him-or her-it's up to you -what you'd like…"

He shrugged. "Whatever you want." Oh gods had he just given away the fact that he had never made one by hand before? God, he hoped she didn't catch onto that…

Belle giggled. "Why don't we leave it right here next to the other snowman…"  
She bent down to try and pick up the middle to place it on the top, but she was struggling and could barely lift it. Standing back up, she tucked a curl behind her ear and looked at Rumple bashfully. "It's too heavy…"

He cleared his throat and nodded before taking the large snowball in his arms, he put it on top of the even bigger one. "There," he smiled, brushing his hands off.

Belle stood back and watched him carefully, making sure not to get in his way so that she didn't make him accidentally drop the snowball.  
She really couldn't tell if he was enjoying this; he just seemed to be going through the motions for her sake and that was not what she wanted.  
So, when an idea struck her a snowball struck him from behind the moment the snowman's middle was safely resting on it's bottom.  
When he turned around to face her she had her hand over her mouth holding back a giggle and hoping he wouldn't be angry.

His eyes widened and he started smiling. "Belle!" he laughed before he tried making a snowball to throw back at her.

Oh he wasn't mad-good. Belle grabbed another handful of snow and chucked it at him before he had a chance to finish his snowball. A direct hit right on the side of his head.

He staggered a bit as he was hit in the head, but he laughed again. He threw his snowball at her, hitting her in the shoulder. He made another one and hit her hip.

Belle tossed one more at him before she ducked behind a tree so she wouldn't be such an easy target. She stayed there for a moment to take a chance to catch her breath.

He chuckled and scooped a bunch of snow into his arms before sneaking around the tree. He then proceeded to dump the snow in her hair, laughing.

Belle was taken by surprise and since it was such a large amount of snow she stood there sputtering and spitting, trying to knock it out of her hair and face. She giggled a little but she looked up at Rumple and began to shiver since the snow was melting around her head. "I think we should stop," she said honestly not wanting to catch cold.

Rumple was laughing, really laughing. He hardly ever truly laughed unless Max tackled him. And then he saw that she was shivering, and his smile instantly fell, a look of concern replacing it. "Are-Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yes, just cold," Belle assured him. She smiled up at him. She absolutely loved seeing him laugh and wished he would do it more often. It suited him so much more than that grimace he held the majority of the time.

He nodded and he went over to her. He hesitated for a moment, twiddling his hands in front of him before he reached out and gently kissed her forehead allowing his magic to spread throughout her, warming her instantly. He very quickly pulled away, cleared his throat, and looked away.

As Rumple moved closer, Belle did not budge an inch. They only thing that moved were her eyes as she watched him carefully as he bent down to kiss her. In that moment her world seemed to stand still and although it was a brief kiss, she found herself closing her eyes to savor the feel of his lips as they brushed against her skin. She felt as if she were going to melt, but not from being warmed-from something else. Excitement? Joy? Anticipation of something more?  
As soon as he pulled away though she was already missing him-even though the kiss was really nothing at all. And when she felt what it had done she knew it truly meant nothing at all. It was for the magic to warm her-which made her feel a tinge of disappointment, but she was grateful nonetheless. "T…thank you…" she said softly, hiding her disappointment.

He cleared his throat again and nodded. "Don't mention it…" he said. He looked over his shoulder at the snowman. "Ah… Are we going to finish him?"

Belle could still feel her heart beating fast and she seriously thought her blood was boiling-partly from the magic but also from the kiss. "Yes, yes we can," she said trying not to be distracted and quickly walked over to the head and placed it on. She tried to concentrate on making the snowman, but it was difficult now. Did he have to kiss her to cast that spell? Or would a simple touch have sufficed? "How do you um…how do you want to decorate him?"

He shrugged. "Uh, I don't know…." he said, unable to look directly at her now. What had he been thinking?

"Well…" She couldn't make direct eye contact with him either and she was sure her face was red. "Why don't you collect some rocks for his eyes and mouth and I'll find sticks for his arms?"

He nodded and he headed off, looking for rocks under the snow.

Belle walked over to some nearby bushes, just out of sight of Rumple. She needed just a moment to herself. What was wrong with her? Why did that kiss affect her so much-especially since it was so small that it could barely even be considered a kiss? Her hand came to rest on her forehead where his lips had touched.  
She chanced a glance around the tree at Rumple as he scanned the ground. Was she falling for him?  
The thought made her heart flutter just a little more and her breath hitched. Quickly she ducked back behind the tree before he looked up. Falling for the Dark One…now that was something she never thought possible. But he was nothing like his stories. Everything she had ever heard about him, everything he tried to do, it was all a cover up to hide who he really was: a kind and caring person.  
Just a couple of weeks ago she never even thought she'd meet the mysterious man since no one ever had. Now she was debating her feelings…but what about him? He was so reclusive, that she was lucky to even call him friend. If he was beginning to care for her too, she didn't know.  
Taking a deep breath she quickly found a couple sticks that would work as the snowman's arms so that Rumple wouldn't wonder what she was doing.

As Rumple collected rocks and a pinecone, his thoughts were tumbling around in his head as well. He had just kissed her head, what the hell was wrong with him?! Why had he ever even come to town in the first place? He had wanted to see her, but who in their right mind would want to see him? She didn't care about him, she didn't care for him!….. Why on earth was he bothered by that? It was now he was realizing just how deep his feelings were for Belle. He…. He adored her, he just wanted to be around her. He was…..falling for her. But how was that even possible? He was the Dark One, no one could ever love him, and there was no way he could have a happy ending, he knew that very well. But… But Belle brought to him this light, this happiness that he had never had before, and he didn't want to lose that. He knew he would have to, but he didn't want to. Pulling himself together, he finished gathering the stones and pinecones and headed back to the snowman.

Belle was already at the snowman, situating the stick arms the best she could. When she saw Rumple approach she gave him a quick smile before averting her eyes, still unable to make direct eye contact with him. "Did you find everything?"

He cleared his throat and nodded. "Yes," he said holding out the stones and the pinecone.

Belle made sure the arms were secure before moving aside to allow Rumple room. "Place them on however you like…"

He nodded and he started placing the stones on for eyes and a smile. He used the pinecone for the nose.

Belle giggled at the sight of the pinecone. "It looks a little silly…but I suppose it's a good alternative. We don't have a carrot."

He chuckled. "I could get us a carrot but I thought the point of this was for me not to use magic," he said.

"Ah…you're right,". Belle replied. Honestly she hadn't even considered him using magic to procure a carrot. "But I suppose the point was to build the snowman without using magic…we can't necessarily make our own carrot…"

He nodded. "So looks like our snowman is complete," he said, taking a step back and admiring it. He was actually very proud of it.

"Yes," Belle agreed. It didn't look as nice as the one made by magic, which stood next to it, but she was proud of it nonetheless.  
She sighed happily and looked over at Rumple. "Would you like to keep walking or do you need to go home?"  
It was getting late, but honestly Belle didn't care. The sun was completely set now and it was very frigid outside but with the magic he had given her kept her warm.

"Well it's not like I have a missus waiting for me at home," he said in a joking fashion. That drew him to a pause. His whole life he had never once thought about getting married, to have someone by his side and to support each other… Someone to wait for him to hold him tight… Looking at Belle now, he wanted that. He wanted that with her…

That comment made Belle blush yet again and look away. Why would he say something like that? Was there another meaning behind it? No there couldn't be…it was just a joke or something.  
"Okay…I just didn't want to keep you from anything."  
She looked toward the trail and considered taking his hand, but now she was even shyer after what had happened in the past few minutes.

He nodded and he walked with her down the trail. He too was hesitant to take her hand now and he ended up not doing so.

It disappointed Belle; she had expected him to. Actually she had counted on it. But no, he wasn't holding her hand this time. That proved something. They were just friends.  
She tried not to appear upset about it and enjoy the walk.  
As they came upon the frozen lake her face brightened just a little. She paused and stood there briefly. "Isn't it beautiful?" she asked as she gazed at it fondly.

He looked upon the frozen lake and he smiled softly. "Yes… Yes it is," he said.

Belle glanced all around the lake fondly admiring the scenery. She could see the little ice skating kiosk near one side-which was closed now.  
"This was where my mother brought me to skate when I was young…"

"Skate?" he asked, looking at her. "So you… You know how?"

"I do," Belle said turning to smile up at him. "Although I haven't done it in a long time. Not since…not since um…"  
She inhaled a shaky breath fighting back the tears. "Since my mother passed…"

He looked at her and reached out for her hand now. "I'm sorry… I remember you told me before…" he said softly.

Belle's eyes lingered on his hand on hers. Now he was doing it out of sympathy-it meant nothing. "No I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up something so sad and spoil the mood." She made her self smile again, but it was a sad smile. "I just miss her. But we did have so much fun, I did enjoy it. I have many fond memories and I do wish to skate again one day."

He nodded. He looked out to the frozen lake again. "…You know… I don't know how to skate." he told her, trying to cheer her up. "…Maybe you could teach me?"

Belle looked up at him surprised, but her eyes sparkled with hope. "Really? You want me to teach you?"

He slowly nodded. "I-I would like that."

Belle grinned big and grabbed his other hand with her free one without even thinking. "Well I would be honored to teach you…unfortunately the skate rental is closed and when it opens again there will be other people around…"  
She hadn't forgotten that he didn't want to be seen.

He put one of his fingers to his lips to quiet her. He waved his hand and two pairs of skates were hanging from his arms.

Magic. Of course! Why couldn't she remember that? Probably because this was her first experience with it and he hadn't used it very much in front of her.  
Belle's eyes lit up nonetheless and she looked at Rumple excitedly.  
"You really want to skate?" She was still skeptical about his sincerity, but part of her was nervous. One, it had been a while, so she knew she would be rusty. But two, she knew that he would have to hold on to her a lot at first and that thought made those butterflies return.

He nodded. "I'd like to," he said. "I want you to teach me."

Belle's smile grew two times its size and keeping hold of his hand, she led him over to a bench so that they could sit and put their skates on.  
She was truly very excited about this and it was easy to tell.

He, however, was nervous about this, but he had faith that she wouldn't let him make a fool of himself…. He hoped. He put his skates on. He was doing this for her-to cheer her up, that's all he had to tell himself.

Belle stood when she was done, adjusting her dress and coat. She looked to Rumple and held out her hand for him to take in case he lost his balance.

He took a deep breath he taking her hands, he stood up. He was pretty nervous…

Squeezing his hand to reassure him, Belle smiled up at him. "Don't worry. We're going to have fun. Now, I hope you have some kind of balance because we have to walk over to the ice."

He took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright, I'm ready," he said, standing up a little straighter.

Belle kept a hold of his hand and began walking over towards the lake, taking very slow steps until she could decipher how balanced Rumple was.

Rumple's hands were shaky but his feet were firm and balanced. He kept looking at his feet.

Once she realized he wasn't going to fall with every step he took she relaxed. "You should look up Rumple-watch where you're going."

He nodded and looked up, meeting her eyes. His heart swelled when he did, she was so beautiful… He really was falling for her…

There was something about the way he was looking at her right then…Belle couldn't explain it. But it did however make her blush, bite her lip, and look away. This was ridiculous! How could this man do such things to her?  
"Um.. Just step onto the ice carefully," she warned as they neared the edge. Releasing his hand momentarily, she cautiously stepped out onto the lake and held her hand out again if he needed it.

Rumple cleared his throat and nodded, and he stepped out onto the ice, his hands gripping hers and shaking. It was harder to get his balance on the ice; his legs started to wobble.

"It's okay," Belle said noticing his hesitation. "You can hold onto me for as long as you need…" Or forever…gods she needed to push those thoughts from her head. Rumple would never want anything more from her.

He nodded, trying to get his balance. "So-So I just… move?" he asked, unsure of how to get started.

"Here let me show you," she said and let go of his hands once she was sure he wasn't going to fall. "Stay right there."  
Slowly at first she moved out on the ice just letting herself get a feel for skating again since it had been a couple years. Once she was comfortable again she began to instruct him. "Watch my feet. See how I move back-and-forth? This is what you want to do, start out slowly at first but when you get more confident you could move a little faster." She began to skate a little faster just to show him. Then she skated back over to him and stopped. "Ready to try?" She held out her arm for him to take.

Rumple slowly nodded as he watched her, trying to figure out why the hell he had thought this was a good idea. He grabbed her arm and slowly began to skate with her, moving his legs how she had done. He was still pretty nervous but he was doing ok.

Belle was very patient with him and she made sure to move at whatever pace he needed. "How do you feel?" she asked him after a few moments.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "I'm ok…" he said quietly.

"Are you sure?" she asked, not entirely certain she believed him. Gripping his arm a little tighter she smiled at him again. "Hey I'm here and I won't let you fall…" She paused realizing she couldn't promise that. "Well…if you do fall at least I'll be something softer to land on…" She ended with a giggle.

He chuckled a bit at her words. "I'm not going to fall on you, I'll probably crush you." She was so sweet, so kind…

Belle giggled again and shook her head. "It might hurt, yes, but I don't think you'd crush me."

"Still, I'm not going to fall on you," he insisted. His leg movements were becoming more confident and less shaky.

Belle grinned knowingly. "How can you be sure," she teased. "I'm more experienced and even I fall sometimes."

He shook his head. "What I mean is that I won't allow myself to fall on you."

"Oh," she said, understanding now. She still giggled. "Well, try as you might, some things are out of your control…"  
Like feelings…like the feelings she was having for him right now. Oh gods! She needed to stop!  
She cleared her throat. "Um… You're doing well would you like to try a faster pace? Or without hanging onto me?"

"…Let's just try faster," he said. "Not quite ready to let go yet…" He didn't want to let her go, he wanted her close, always.

"Aright," Belle agreed, picking up the pace just a tad. She was glad he didn't choose to let go; almost the moment she suggested it she had regretted it.  
It didn't help her feelings though and they skated around the lake in circles. Being this close it almost felt as if they were a couple and she knew anyone looking on would think the same.  
Her heart began to ache thinking about how much she wanted to be his, to mean something to him, but that would probably never be so.

He was actually having fun with her. He never thought that he could have fun, but the snowman and the snowball fight and now ice skating… He really was having fun and he was glad it was with her. Suddenly, he hit an imperfection in the ice and he began to wobble dangerously. He clung to her as he began to go down, but he managed to make it so he fell on his back, pulling her down on top of him. He groaned in pain a bit before he opened his eyes and looked at her. This was the closest they had ever been…

The tumble had been entirely unexpected. Belle was preoccupied with everything else…mainly Rumple…and she didn't even notice when he stumbled. But then it seemed almost instant she was on the ground with him.  
At first she worried about nothing but his wellbeing. "Rumple! Are you okay?" She exclaimed trying to visually check him but not moving off him.

He looked at her. "I'm okay," he told her. "Are you?" He had kept his promise not to land on her… Gods she was so beautiful….

Her focus was so much on him that she hadn't even thought of herself. But she didn't feel any pain-Rumple had broken her fall. Well- he had caused it to begin with. She burst out laughing, then, indicating that yes she was fine and this was all funny to her. "And you said you wouldn't fall!"  
She grinned down at him and didn't even think to move and get up.

He smiled and chuckled, smirking at her. "But I didn't fall on you."

"Yes you just decided to take me with you…" Belle smiled brightly down at him, for a moment letting herself get lost in his eyes. She had hugged him before, but they had never been this close for such a long period of time. She could actually take time to take him in. His eyes were very unique and although they didn't look human she truly loved them.

He smiled at her and gazed into her eyes. He… He was pretty sure he loved her. She was so beautiful, graceful, kind, loving… He wanted to wake up to her face every day… Deicding to do something daring, he slowly leaned in to kiss her, but paused when he suddenly heard crying.

For the briefest of moments Belle honestly thought he had every intent to kiss her. But she was also lying there right on top of him imagining a life together with him and wishing that he would just sweep her up into his arms and cart her off to his castle.  
After a day- or should she say evening out like this-a nice night at home-a home they could both call theirs-cuddled in front of a fire and reading a book or watching a movie sounded better than anything.  
But if he was going to kiss her, it was all interrupted when she heard the crying too and it sounded like whoever it was coming their way.  
Quickly she scrambled off of him. "Someone's coming…"

He quickly got up and helped her to her feet. What the hell had he been thinking?! He couldn't kiss her; she would probably scream and never want to see him again. Quickly he reached for his mask, and his heart dropped when he couldn't find it. He had lost his mask! What was he going to do now?!

It was easy to see his distress and Belle hadn't forgotten that he didn't want to be seen. "Here, let's hurry," she said keeping her hold of him and motioning toward the other direction so that they could escape before whoever saw them. It would be hard to walk in skates but what other choice did they have?

He grabbed her hand and they hurried to escape. The skates slowed them down, but Belle knew if they stopped to remove them they would be seen. Yet as the voice grew closer-or crying that is-Belle suddenly realized it wasn't an adult crying but a child. That caused her to pause, stopping Rumple along with her. She looked up at him sorrowfully. "Rumple I think that's a child crying…"

"Belle I can't get anyone see me!" he objected, his voice strained. "I have to go!"

"But Rumple! It's a child-a girl it sounds like! She might be in trouble! We can't ignore her! What if she's hurt?" Belle refused to let go of Rumple just yet although she knew he could disappear on her in the blink of an eye. Hopefully he wouldn't leave her to deal with this alone.

He swallowed thickly. He could just disappear home, he wanted to, but at the same time he couldn't. And it was only a child… "….Fine," he sighed.

Oh thank the gods. Belle was surprised he agreed to it so easily, but she was also relieved. "Okay let's hurry in case she's hurt," Belle urged as she pulled on his arm.

He swallowed and nodded and threw on the hood of his cloak, enough to cover his face.

As Belle hurried toward the crying as fast as possible, she still wished she could change out of the skates, but they were better than trudging in the snow without any shoes.  
Whoever was crying though, had stopped moving, but she was close and it sounded like she was in the woods.  
Belle didn't hesitate at all as she took the first step past the tree line and she looked around desperate to find the child.

And sure enough, there sat a little girl curled up under a tree crying. Rumple was the first to see her and they approached her, despite his reservations.

"Hello," Belle said softly as she took cautious steps. Slowly she knelt down on the ground next to the girl so as not to seem so intimidating. "Sweetheart are you hurt?"

The girl jumped and looked up at her. "Who-Who are you?"

"I'm Belle and this is my friend Rumple." She motioned toward Rumple standing there. "And we don't want to hurt you-I just want to know what you're doing out here all alone when it's so late…" Belle smiled warmly at the child.

The girl sniffled and wiped at her cheeks. "…No one listens to me," she said. "Everyone's so busy shopping and decorating that no one really cares anymore and no one listens…" Rumple kept back a ways but he was still listening.

Moving closer to the girl, Belle settled down on the ground despite the snow. "I'm willing to listen if you want to talk." Now that she got a good look at the girl's face, she knew she had seen her around town but she couldn't recall her name. "What's your name sweetheart?"

The girl sniffled again. "…Cindy," she said. "…Everybody thinks that Christmas is all about buying things… But that can't be right, can it?"

Cindy, yes Belle remembered the little girl now. Her father worked down at one of the local shops. "No I don't think it is," Belle told the girl. "Although at times it might appear that way."

Cindy sighed and looked at her shoes. "But no one else believes me…"

"Well I believe you," she told the girl honestly. "And I understand how you feel. Everyone I know is so caught up with shopping…" And then there was Rumple who hated Christmas altogether, but she couldn't mention that. "I think they forget what Christmas is truly about."

Cindy nodded. "Me too," she said and she looked up at her. "I didn't know anyone else thought the same…"

"Yes, it's nice to meet someone who has the same views…" She gently placed her hand on the girl's shoulder. "But, sweetheart why are you out so late? Surely your parents are worried about you…"

"They're in bed," she said, "I was fighting with my brother..."  
"You should be getting home," Rumple finally spoke a little gruffly. He was just trying to get her to go.

The little girl looked up for the first time at the man that had accompanied Belle. Suddenly she had a very uneasy feeling wash over her and she shivered. There was no seeing the man's face because it was completely covered and he loomed over them creepily. And then there was his voice… Cindy did not have a good feeling about this and now she was beginning to feel like this was a bad idea coming out into the woods all along. All of the stories her mother had told her about strangers surfaced in her mind. Belle seemed nice, but that could be an act…why would such a nice lady be hanging around this mysterious man?  
Her eyes darted from Rumple to Belle and a hint of fear was clearly shining through them. "Y…yes…I…I…should go…" She tried her best to speak normally, but there was no mistaking the fear in her voice and Belle easily picked up on it.  
She hadn't noticed it until Rumple had spoken and she knew how intimidating or scary he might look to a child completely.  
She smiled softly at the girl and backed away ever so slightly to show she didn't mean her any harm. "Would you like me to walk you home?" she offered.

Rumple could instantly tell that this girl was afraid of him and he took a few steps back. He should have known it was a bad idea to come to town at all… He honestly didn't like scaring people because of his appearance, he just wanted to be left alone on his mountain… so people wouldn't have to be scared of him or laugh at him, or try to kill him.  
Cindy shook her head. "No, I'll go on my own," she said, standing up and backing away a bit.

Belle hated that the little girl was frightened, but it was good that she knew to be wary of strangers.  
And she also knew Rumple looked scarier than he was dressed in robes, but uncovering his face would not be a better idea either. The whole town feared him, but she knew that was what he wanted.

Belle smiled warmly at Cindy and stepped back to stand with Rumple to show that she wasn't going to try anything to make her stay.  
"Alright, but please be careful…and if you ever need anyone to talk to my door is always open. My father is the local florist if you ever want to find me."  
They had only exchanged a few words, but she felt a connection with this girl and hated she had to become afraid.

Cindy nodded. "Thank you," she said and she walked away, accidentally leaving a very small purse behind but Rumple wasn't paying attention. Once the girl was out of earshot Rumple threw back his hood and rubbed his head. "You see why I don't leave my mask off?" he said to Belle.

Belle shook her head and looked up at him. "This had nothing to do with your appearance…well your face anyway," Belle explained. "She's just a little girl and you were standing there with dark robes on, covering your face. It's intimidating and I would have been surprised if she wasn't scared."

"Even so, if she had seen my face she'd be screaming and running for the hills," he argued.

Belle sighed. "Yes…you're right. She would be frightened at first, but once she saw-once anyone had a chance to see how kind you really are -they would see that they were wrong and there's nothing to fear." Belle paused briefly and debated on saying her last thought, blushing as she chose to do so. "I know I did…"

He looked at her for a long time. "…You don't mean that…" he said, looking away sadly.

"If I didn't I wouldn't be standing here with you right now," she told him and daring to reach out and touch his arm. "I wouldn't spend time with you, be your friend…" And wish for more… "…if you were the monster you pretend you are."

He looked at her slowly let a smile creep up on his face. Suddenly his smile faded and his eyes went wide and he noticed something behind her. Cindy had come back for her little bag, and she had seen his face! Oh no…

Belle was staring up at Rumple's face when she saw the sudden change in his expression. Something was behind her and she didn't hesitate to swing around and see what it was.  
There stood little Cindy, frozen in place as she stared in horror at Rumple. "Y…you're the Dark One…" the little girl breathed. Coming to her senses she opened her mouth to scream.

"No no please don't! I won't hurt you!" he objected, going over to the little girl. "I don't want to hurt you."

Belle ran to Cindy's side as well and fell to her knees to be at the child's height level. "Cindy, it's okay sweetheart. Rumple is telling the truth. He won't hurt you…he didn't even mean for you to see him."

Cindy was backing away from Rumple and glancing nervously between the two adults. "But he's the Dark One! He'll eat my toes and put my eyeballs in a display case!" Rumple's eyes widened. That's what the people thought of him?!

Belle had to resist the urge to laugh because that was just ridiculous. "He'll do no such thing. Those are just stories." Belle tried to think of a way to convince the child. She had an idea. Slipping her skates off she held her foot out and wiggled her toes through her tights. "See I have all my toes and my eyeballs are still in my head and I've been with him for quite some time…"

Cindy looked at her toes and then looked up at Rumple. "You… You don't eat people?" she asked, still skeptical.  
"Of course not!" Rumple cringed. Cindy was beginning to believe them, but it was obvious she was still weary of him. She glanced over at Belle when suddenly she remembered something. "Y…you're that lady, who said she would convince the Dark One to come to the Christmas Party. I remember now."  
Belle smiled and nodded. "I am."

"And I'm not going to hurt you," Rumple repeated. He was just so nervous… Cindy looked up at his and slowly took a few steps closer.

She looked between both adults, but her eyes rested on Rumple. "And are you going to come to the party?" she asked, assuming Belle was with him to ask him. She didn't even consider they were wearing skates.

Rumple sighed and shook his head. "No I'm not going."

"Why not?" Cindy asked. "If you really don't want people to think you want to eat them then what better chance to show them who you are…"  
Belle couldn't help but grin and look over at him. She had told him a similar thing before and it was refreshing to have another person say it too.

He shook his head. "I'm just not going, I wouldn't be welcome," he said firmly. "No matter what anyone says, I won't be welcome. And I'm not going."

"Oh," Cindy replied. She looked at him curiously. "But what if you went and had fun…maybe you would make some friends? It must be lonely up on that mountain…"

He shook his head. "I like to be alone," he said. "It's better for me. And for everyone else… You need to he getting home." He was getting frustrated now and wanted her to leave.

Cindy nodded her head and looked over and quickly grabbed her purse off the ground. As she stood back up she caught sight of the ice skates. "We're you ice skating? With her?" she wondered aloud.

Rumple nodded. "Uh, yeah, we were."

Now Cindy was confused and she was not afraid to speak up and call him out. "But you just said you like to be alone! I think you're making excuses." She crossed her arms in front her.  
Belle was standing slightly behind Rumple and she was trying her hardest not to laugh. Cindy was a brave one and she certainly had some points-all the same points Belle had made to Rumple before. She was being stubborn too-it was cute.

"And I think that you need to go home and forget all this ever happened before your eyes do go up on my display case," he growled, getting irritated with this girl.

A flash of fear briefly flashed over Cindy's face until she chanced a glance at Belle who was still smiling. Belle instantly shook her head to tell the child he was joking and Cindy visibly relaxed. For the first time, the little girl smiled up at Rumple and gave him a small curtsy. "It was nice to meet you Mr. Dark One…and if you do decide to attend the party I look forward to meeting you again."

Rumple was just irritated now and he didn't answer. He just wanted her to go so he could go home as well.

Rolling her eyes at Rumple's rudeness, Belle stepped around him and up to the little girl. She knelt down beside her and smiled. "It was very nice to meet you, and I will certainly see you at the party." She glanced back at Rumple briefly and then lowered her voice. "And hopefully Mr. Sourpuss will join us too…"  
The funny nickname elicited a giggle from the little girl before she left and wished Belle goodbye.  
Once Cindy was out of sight, Belle turned to face Rumple. There was a smile on her face, but she spoke to him in a scolding manner. "You know you didn't have to be rude. She's just a child."

"A very irritating child," he said. "I like kids, but they're all the same."

"I thought she was sweet…and brave," Belle noted. "And she's not frightened of you anymore either."

"She should be," he said. "Everyone should be afraid of me, including you."

Belle rolled her eyes yet again ,crossed her arms in front of her, and tilted her head at him. Her face showed him that he was just being ridiculous. "Are you still trying to convince me of this? Because you haven't hurt me thus far and I don't believe you ever would."  
Actually he had rescued her once from Gaston and when they were ice skating he was very concerned about falling on her. This was just him trying to hide behind a mask again.

"Whether or not I show you my dark side doesn't mean it's not there," he sneered. "And I don't want to hurt you or anyone. But if pushed, I don't think I could stop myself."

She still did not believe him and she shook her head. "I suppose everyone has a dark side-but that doesn't mean one should be afraid. I know your trying to retreat behind your mask again, Rumple."  
And she wasn't talking about the plastic beast mask and she knew he understood that.

He wanted to yell that she was wrong and that it was just who he was, but he knew she was right. He sighed, agitated, and looked away. "…I think I'll be heading home now."

"Oh…" Belle sounded disappointed and her arms fell to her sides. "Well…yes it is late," she agreed begrudgingly. This was not how she hoped for the evening to end. At one point she was sure he was about to kiss her and she honestly wished for him to invite her to come home with him, but that was a foolish girl's dream.

"….Do you want me to walk you home?" he asked, really wanting to get out of there.

"Do you want to walk me home?" She asked, sensing his offer was forced.

"Well I might as well," he shrugged.

Belle shook her head. She didn't want to force him to do something he clearly did not want to do. It broke her heart though to think he truly didn't want to walk her home. "No, my house is not too far. Besides I don't want you to accidentally run into anyone else," she said with a hint of annoyance. "I just need to get my shoes." She turned and started walking toward the lake.

Rumple rolled his eyes. He followed her so he could put his own shoes back on. He wanted this night over with, why had he even come to town at all?

Belle quickly put her shoes on as well and handed the skates back to Rumple. She wished him a hurried goodbye before she turned and began her walk home. It pained her to leave him like this, but he was being so frustrating!  
As she walked she tucked her hands in the pockets of her coat and let a few tears escape her eyes. Just when she thought her and Rumple were growing closer he just pushed her away again. She had let herself grow more attached to him than she had meant to and now it was affecting her.

Rumple was very angry, but the second she was out of sight his heart hurt. He felt he had been a little harsh, but it wasn't easy to admit that. He hurried to get his mask from the table, thinking he may have made a mistake, but it was too late now…


	7. Chapter 7

As Belle walked home that evening and arrived to the streets of downtown Storybrooke, she realized it was indeed much later than she had thought-almost one in the morning the clock tower read. Time had apparently stood still when she was spending it with Rumple. She was so fond of him. Why did he have to be so frustrating sometimes?

It was then that Gaston emerged from a bar nearby. He was stumbling out when he spotted Belle and he went over. "Hey babydoll," he smirked as he followed her.

The moment Belle saw Gaston coming she groaned internally and picked up the pace. It was clear by the nickname he called her and the foul smell that was irradiating off him that he was drunk. Very drunk. "Good evening Gaston," she said politely and began walking even faster.

Gaston caught up to her however, threw his arm around her shoulders, and pulled her close. "Where you goin' baby?"

"Gaston let go of me," she grumbled and pulled out of his grasp. She stumbled forward several steps, but caught her balance and continued on. She did not have time to deal with him right now. "I'm going home because my father will be looking for me."  
Maurice was probably pacing the floor by this point, but she knew he would have to understand that she was a grown woman and could stay out as late as she wanted.

"How about you come home with me?" he slurred the suggestion. "We'll have some fun, take a look at my trophies…"

Belle didn't have to wonder if there was a hidden meaning behind that statement. She knew exactly what he meant. "No thank you, Gaston," she replied without stopping or looking back. "You should go back inside and call a cab. I'll talk to you another day when you're sober."  
In all honesty she didn't want to talk to him at all, but she was trying to be nice so he would go away.

"Come on, babe," he said as he sped up just enough to grab her arm forcefully and pull her back toward him. He pulled her flush against him with his other arm, holding her so tight and strongly that Belle couldn't wriggle from his grasp. Everything was happening so fast, Belle was barely registering what was going on, but she knew this wasn't good.

"Gaston, stop!" she said firmly, still trying as she might to get away. But he wasn't letting her and instead backed her up against a building wall, keeping a good hold on her. She then felt his hands began to roam her body and her body froze with fear.

"How bout a kiss?" he asked more as a demand than a question.

"NO!" she pleaded. "Let me go!"

Refusing to listen to her, he leaned down to kiss her and managing to tilt her head just in time, his lips only grazed the side of her cheek. Belle could then see the fury in his eyes because she wouldn't cooperate and even though she tried to kick and punch, he began grabbing at her clothes. Gaston had her trapped and she was more terrified than she ever had been in her life. And no matter how much she pleaded he wouldn't relent. But just as she thought there was no escape she suddenly felt him release her from his grasp and she opened her eyes to see Rumple with his mask on and a tree branch in his hand standing there over Gaston's unconscious body. He had knocked him over the head and saved her.  
Belle stood there frozen for a moment trying to register what had just happened as she stared shockingly at Rumple.

Rumple turned to her and peeled off the mask. "Belle are you OK?" he asked, going to her to see if she was hurt.

Belle was barely breathing. Her eyes were wide, her heart felt like it was beating out of her chest, and her whole body was shaking from the fear of what almost happened. And she could still feel Gaston's slimy lips on her face and smell the excessive alcohol.

When she saw Rumple's face though, she couldn't stop herself from throwing her body into his arms and burying her head in his shoulder as she began to cry. "Thank you, Rumple…if you hadn't been here…" Oh gods, would Gaston really have taken in as far as she was imagining?

He hugged her close and tight, relieved. "It's OK, Belle, you're safe," he assured. "I've got you, you're safe." He let out a deep, nervous breath and just held her close.

Belle continued to cry in his shoulder, clinging to him as if her life depended on it, when she heard rustling from the side.  
Gasping, she looked over and saw Gaston was not unconscious after all and he stood there looming over them with a surprised yet angry look on his face.  
"The Dark One…" The brute sputtered in disbelief.

Rumple held Belle close and he glared at Gaston. "You stay away from her, or you will live to regret it. You understand?" he growled threateningly.

Belle tightened her grip on Rumple.  
Gaston glanced between the two of them and suddenly all of the shock and disbelief melted away and was replaced by pure rage. He set his eyes to Belle as he spoke and clenched his fists at his sides. "You…you prefer this beast to someone like me?!"  
Belle's body was still trembling and tears were still rolling down her cheeks. "Gaston please…just go home," she begged neither confirming nor denying anything.

"I suggest you leave now before you get another whack from the stick," Rumple demanded. "Or perhaps I could turn you into a toad, now wouldn't that be entertaining?"

"You think I'm afraid of you?" Gaston bellowed. He glanced Rumple up and down, seeing how scrawny he looked compared to himself. He was nothing but muscle and was not afraid to let others know it. "Look at you! You're nothing compared to me! You sneak up on me when I'm not expecting it! Only a coward does that! Now Belle is mine and I'm gonna prove it!"  
Grabbing a nearby stick, one much larger than the one Rumple had used, Gaston lunged forward toward the couple, aiming to knock Rumplestiltskin in the head.

Rumple was fast and light on his feet and he easily had himself and Belle dodge the attack. Moving Belle aside, he let Gaston continue to swing at him. He just dodged every swing, letting the man wear himself out.

Gaston was getting angrier by the second. "Too cowardly to fight back?" He taunted, daring Rumple to do something besides dodge him.  
"Gaston please just stop this!" Belle begged from the sidelines.

"Too stupid to give up?" Rumple said as he kept dodging. He didn't care right now, as long as Belle was all right.

Those words only fueled Gaston's temper. But he also knew this was getting him nowhere, especially if the monster refused to fight back.  
Seizing the opportunity as he came inches within Belle, he turned swiftly on his feet, dropped the stick and grab Belle in his arms locking her in a chokehold.  
Belle struggled to break free, but Gaston was just too strong.  
Pulling a knife from his pocket, he held it close to Belle's head.  
"Still refuse to fight coward? Even when your little girlfriend's life is on the line?"  
Belle was gasping for air and unable to talk, she looked to Rumple, her eyes begging him to help her.

"Belle!" he cried, his heart racing. At first he didn't know what to do, but suddenly he snapped his fingers and Gaston was suddenly a rose on the ground behind her, the knife clattering to the ground. Rumple ran over to her and pulled her close into his arms.

Belle gasped for breath the moment she was free and tried to regain her senses. She was dizzy from the whole situation, not to mention trembling even worse than before and her heart was beating faster than ever.  
"Oh Rumple," she cried in a raspy voice. She clung to him was crying yet again. A bad situation had turned into more terrifying one in a matter of minutes.

He held her close. "It's all right, come on, I'll take you home," he said and he started leading her away. "Don't worry about him, he'll turn back in a few hours with no memory of any of this, ok?"

In that moment Gaston was the last thing she ever wanted to think about. And when Rumple mentioned taking her home she became slightly hysterical. "No Rumple please…I can't go home like this…I can't tell my father or roommate what happened nor do I want to be alone." Tears streamed down her face as she begged him not to take her to her house.

He sighed softly and held her close, stroking her arm. "…How about I take you back to my place until you calm down?"

Earlier that evening, Belle had wished for him to ask her that, but this was certainly not the ideal situation she had had in mind. She sniffled and closed her eyes as she kept her head against his chest and took a few breaths to calm down. "Only if that's what you want…" She replied still trying to respect his wishes.

"I want you to be OK, I want you to feel safe," he said. "So I'll take you to my home, have some tea, pet Max and calm down, and then you can go home, yes?"

Belle nodded, unable to say much else. She did feel safe, very safe engulfed in Rumplestiltskin's arms. He tried so hard to make her believe he was a monster, but his actions from that night proved that was far from the truth.

He hugged her close and allowed a red smoke to engulf them as they disappeared to the mountain. Max bounded up to them as soon as they set foot inside.

Belle jumped just a little, having never traveled by magic before.  
Max was incredibly excited to see not just his Master but the pretty lady too…that was until he saw how upset she was.  
Going up to their feet he looked up at them wide eyed and whined as if to ask what was wrong.

Rumple patted Max's head and he led Belle to a sitting room and they sat together in a couch.

Max followed them and sat at their feet looking up at them. He kept inching toward Belle, whimpering and wondering if she was okay.  
Belle released Rumple and reached down to pet Max. She managed a weak smile. "Hey, Max. I'm glad to see you."

"How about that tea?" he asked softly as he gently stroked her back.

"That sounds lovely," Belle replied. She was still trembling, but she certainly felt much better now that she was inside and away from everything.

Rumple then conjured a tea set to a small table in front of them and he poured her a cup.

Oh, magic! Belle had expected him to leave the room to go prepare it, which she would have been okay with since she had Max. "Thank you," she told him as she reached out to take the tea. It was warm against her hands and it smelled delicious. She took a sip from it and moaned with pleasure. This was exactly what she needed.

Rumple poured himself a cup and drank as well. "Feel better?"

"Yes, a little," she told him. She glanced down at her cup and twirled it in her hands. It was made of gorgeous white porcelain with a small blue design on the side and gold around the rim. "Thank you, for saving me," she said softly.

"Of course," he replied. "You're welcome." He looked at her, touching her back again. He… He still wanted to kiss her…but this really wasn't the right time.

Closing her eyes, Belle just took a moment to enjoy his touch. It made her heart ache for him ever so slightly, but she was too shaken up to think about it too much.  
He was incredibly caring though, and kind…why did he think he was such a monster when it was clear that he wasn't.  
Belle turned her head so that she could look at him directly. "You see you're not a monster or a beast… No monster would have done what you did tonight. Now Gaston he was the true monster."

He sighed softly and looked at her. "….Maybe…" he finally admitted.

Wow…he was actually admitting it…or at least on the verge of admitting it. It was certainly a start. Something right then made her wonder-did part of him actually believe he was a monster and that it all wasn't just a mask? But why would he believe such a thing?  
"Rumple," she asked softly, "why do you want to be alone?"

He froze for a moment, looking at her nervously. "….I…. I just do better alone," he said. "And no one would want to be around me anyway…"

"But why do you think that? I enjoy being around you…" She didn't blush this time when she said that. Whether she wanted more from him or not, she would want to be his friend and there was no reason to feel bashful about that.

"I can't believe that because everyone who has ever been around me wanted to run for the hills. And if you weren't trying to convince me to go to the Christmas party, you wouldn't be here either."

Now Belle was intrigued…he was sort opening up. "That's not entirely true. Yes the party is what brought us together, but even if you do decide not to go, I hope we can remain friends…"

He nodded. "I hope so too. I've never had a friend…" But he didn't just want to be her friend…

Belle looked at him surprised. "Really? Never? Not even when you were a little boy? Surely you've had someone…"  
It was hard to believe that he had truly never had another to call friend.

"I told you, I didn't have a childhood," he said. "My whole life, I've pretty much been up here on the mountain."

"Oh that's right…" she said having forgotten. "And since you've lived here, has anyone else ever tried to come visit you-besides me?"

"Only annoying teenagers on dares, but the farthest they ever came was to Max, they always ran."

Belle's heart ached for him. Lonely was not strong enough a word to describe him. Being desolate all his life was probably why he had grown to be so angry and think of himself so poorly.  
Belle smiled assuring at him and reached over to place her hand on top of his. "Well you have me now and I'm not going anywhere…"

He looked at her and held her hand. "…Thank you," he said softly, and he gazed at her. He thought about when they were skating, and how much he had wanted to kiss her. Could he… Could he kiss her now?

He was staring at her again, somewhat like he had when they had fallen on the ice and she had considered that he might wanted to kiss her then. But she didn't want to get her hopes up and she turned her head when Max barked.  
She smiled at the wolf, releasing Rumple's hand to rub Max's head. "I'm glad to be your friend as well…"

Rumple jumped when Max barked and he glared at the wolf for a minute. He then chuckled at her words. "Max really likes you as well."

"I like him too," Belle replied, paying a lot of attention to the wolf.  
"How did you find him?" Belle was curious about Rumple's past and he didn't seem to want to open up about it, but surely he would tell her about Max.

"Oh, he was a little pup when I found him, a runt. His mother had just given up on him, and he was very small and weak. So I took him in and nursed him to health. With my magic I was able to enhance his growing, but now he's just a big puppy," he explained, scratching the wolf's ears.

Max licked his lips and closed his eyes, just enjoying being pampered.  
"I'm glad you have him," Belle commented.  
She reached over to take another sip of her tea, before relaxing back against the couch. She was still a little shaken up about what had happened, but she was certainly calming down.

"I'm glad to have him too," he said. "He's a good companion."

Belle sat there for a few moments, just watching how Rumple was with Max. It was easy to see that he adored his dog…wolf…and she couldn't help but begin to imagine what life would be like if he were to invite her in it-as more than just a friend.

Rumple looked at Belle and sighed softly. "You know, I… I don't know whether or not it matters, but… But you mean a lot to me, Belle…"

Belle looked at him with droopy eyes-it was very late at this point-and managed to smile a little bigger. "It does matter," she told him softly, assuming he meant his statement in terms of friendship.  
She yawned and settled her head against the back of the couch, making herself a little more comfortable. "You certainly mean a lot to me too…"

He smiled softly. "I'm glad." He knew she was tired but he didn't know if he should take her home now or not.

"Will you tell me a story Rumple?" she asked to tired to decide if she was overstepping her bounds by asking that of him. "To take my mind off everything?"

He smiled softly, wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and nodded. He began to tell her a story about a beautiful young woman, and a terrible beast…

At the beginning of the story Belle listened intently, enjoying every second of it. But as time went on her eyes became heavier and heavier and soon she was fast asleep, having shifted and falling up against Rumple's side.

When she fell asleep, his eyes widened and he froze. He had no idea what to do; this had never happened before. He looked at her as she slept and stroked her hair. His heart was racing, but he didn't dare move her. Or should he move her? Should he send her home? Or to a bed in his mountain? What if she woke? He honestly had no idea what to do and before he could decide he ended up falling asleep too with her in his arms and Max curled up at their feet.


	8. Chapter 8

That night Belle slept very warm and comfortable, curled up with Rumplestiltskin. As the night went on though, Belle had pulled her legs up and fallen down into his lap with one of her arms tucked underneath her head.

When Rumple woke up the next morning, he was afraid he was still dreaming. Belle was asleep on his lap and he could barely breathe or think. He could just stare at her as she slept. Oh gods…

Soon Belle began to stir, moving ever so slightly to where she was on her back. She opened her eyes for a brief second, catching a glimpse of Rumple's face, before shutting them again.  
But then suddenly her eyes popped open as she registered where she was. Suddenly she shot up, looking at Rumple panicked. "What time is it? Oh no! I shouldn't have fallen asleep…my father will be frantic!"

He swallowed and stood up. "Ah, it's almost eight…" he said. "Do you have to go now?"

Eight…her father would certainly be up and getting ready for work. She wasn't sure about Ruby. "Yes!" Belle exclaimed, still panicking. She did want to stay, but she knew her father would be worried sick.

He sighed softly and nodded. "Very well, I'll send you there." He took her hands. "Come back soon?"

"Yes…when…" She asked a little breathless from having him voluntarily take her hands. She didn't even consider that she had just been asleep in his lap. "Perhaps tomorrow evening?"  
She had not forgotten her plan to bake cookies with Rumple to help convince him to come to the Christmas party.

He nodded. "As long as you can," he said and he pressed a kiss to her head before she disappeared and reappeared in front of her house.

Belle was taken by surprise again because of the sudden departure. And then once again he kissed head to send her home. Did he really need to do that? It made her blush thinking about it. Part of her hoped that he did it because he wanted to and not because that was how to cast a spell for another.  
And not only that but she spent the night with him sleeping practically in his lap, well actually when she woke up she was in his lap but she was too scared of her father's reaction to care at the moment. Gods, her father. What was he going to do? What was he going to say? What was she going to say to him? Taking a deep breath she knew she had to get this over with. Taking out her keys she open the front door and prepared herself for what was going to happen.

Maurice heard her enter the door and he hurried over. "Belle! Where on earth have you been?! You were out all night I was worried sick!"

"I'm sorry, Papa," she replied, closing the door behind her and slipping off her coat. "I went out with a friend after I delivered your flowers…I should have called."

"Friend?" he asked skeptically. "What friend?!"

Belle crossed her arms in front of her. "Ariel…" she lied. "We went out for dinner and a couple drinks-then we ended up at her house to watch a movie and I fell asleep."  
She hated lying but there was no way she could ever tell him the truth.

Maurice sighed and shook his head. "You need to tell me these things!" he scolded. "I thought you have been kidnapped and eaten by the Dark One!"

"I'm sorry Papa," she said again. "I know…it was an accident."  
She wanted to defend Rumple, but she couldn't do that without giving away her lie.

Maurice sighed and nodded and he hugged her. "I'm just glad you're OK," he said softly.

Belle hugged her Papa back. Thank the gods…he bought it. "I promise next time I'll remember to call."

Maurice nodded and he hugged her for a bit longer before he let her go and went to finish getting ready for the day.

Belle sighed heavily and retreated to her room, passing by Ruby's room on the way. She tried to walk quietly just in case her roommate was still sleeping.  
Hopefully she was. Right now all she wanted to do was take a shower and not get bombarded with questions.

To her dismay, Ruby however was awake and she heard Belle. She hurried to the door. "Belle! Where were you?"

Belle closed her eyes and groaned quietly. She had almost made it back to her room…  
Turning around she faced Ruby. "I was out with Ariel."

"Uh no you weren't, I saw Ariel after work, so, where were you?"

Oh no…of course she would have seen Ariel. "I was just out with a friend, Ruby. Nothing to be alarmed about."

"What friend?" she insisted on knowing, and she grabbed her wrist and pulled her into her room. "Are you meeting someone? Who is he?"

Belle could feel a slight blush creep up on her cheeks hearing that Ruby knew it was a guy. "Yes, it is a man…but I swear we are just friends. There is nothing going on." She wasn't lying.

"Oh really?" she asked. "Who is he? It's not Gaston is it?" Ruby made a sour face.

"NO!" Belle exclaimed with anger in her tone without realizing it at first. She took a deep breath to calm herself. If there's anything she didn't want to talk about it was what went on with Gaston the night before. She didn't even want to think about it.  
"You of all people should know I'm not interested in Gaston, and never will be."

"I know that," Ruby said. "So who is it then?"

"I…I can't tell you…" Belle admitted.

"Why not? I'm your friend, you can tell me anything."

Belle hesitated and bit her lip nervously. Her hands began to twiddle with one another. "He's very private…I'm not sure how he'd feel if I told you…"

"Belle come on! It's not like I'm going to tell anybody," Ruby insisted.

Belle inhaled sharply. "Alright," she agreed. "But you have to promise you won't tell anyone-especially my father-at least not until I've told him."

"Alright I promise. Now will you tell me?"

Belle took yet another deep breath and prepared herself for what she was about to hear from her friend. But maybe it wouldn't be bad…hopefully she would understand.  
"I've been seeing a man named Rumplestiltskin. He's the um…you probably know him better as the…uh…the Dark One…"

Ruby's eyes widened and she was silent for a good minute before she finally spoke. "Have you lost your mind?!"

"Ruby, shh…" She said and motioned for her to keep it down so her father wouldn't hear. "Just hear me out…Rumple is not the monster everyone says he is…"

"Rumple?! Now you're doing nicknames?" Ruby snapped. "Have you been sleeping with the Dark One?!"

"What? No!" Belle's face went red. "I told you…we're just friends."

"Oh sure! And that's why you lit up when you talked about him and got so red just now," she said. "Just friends, you're way past that now."

"No Ruby I swear! I haven't slept with him," she insisted. "We haven't even kissed yet…"

"But you like him," she said. "More than friends."

"No!" She said defensively, but it was clear from her reaction that she was not telling the truth. "I mean yes…no…I mean I don't know…"  
She huffed and walked over to sit on her friend's bed.

"Belle how?" she asked, going to sit with her. "You know the stories about him, what if he's just gaining your trust before he eats you?"

"That's just it Ruby…they are exactly that, _stories_." She put a lot of emphasis on the word. "If he was going to eat me he would have done that by now, he's had ample opportunity. I mean he could have easily done it last night as I laid vulnerable and asleep with him on the couch." Her tone was joking and she giggled at the thought.

Ruby playfully hit her with a pillow. "You really have lost your mind!"

Belle chuckled and tossed the pillow back at her friend. "No I haven't. Rumple is nothing like what people say of him. He's actually kind and caring…so incredibly sweet…" She spoke with great fondness and there was a sparkle in her eyes. She sighed and smiled sadly. "And he's so incredibly lonely, having lived all his life up there on that mountain without a single friend besides his dog…well wolf…but Max is practically a puppy…"

Ruby looked at her. "…Oh my god, do you love him?" she asked, her eyes wide.

Belle's eyes widened too as she heard her friend and the blush returned. "No! Of course not! I mean I barely know him-it's only been a couple of weeks-love this soon, it's not possible…and besides there's no way he would ever feel that way about me. He only thinks of me as a friend. No…love is not possible…it can't be…" It sounded more like she was trying to convince herself.

Ruby was suspicious. "Uh huh," she nodded and then shook her head. "…Well I won't tell anyone, I promise."

Belle smiled, relieved. She reached over and touched her friends hand. "Thank you…and hopefully…hopefully soon…you'll meet him and you can see for yourself…"

"So is he… going to come to the party?" she asked. "Have you convinced him?"

Sadly, Belle shook her head. "No…but I still hope to."

Ruby nodded. "Well… Good luck… I gotta get ready for work," she said, standing up.

"Yes, thank you. I'll see you later okay?"  
Belle turned and left the room, going to her own to change and bathe.

Belle had to go in to work as well that afternoon, but she had a few hours to herself after Maurice and Ruby left. While she showered her thoughts lingered on Rumple and her ever-growing feelings for him. She knew she was stupid to feel something for him, because he would never return anything, but she couldn't help it. He sent her so many mixed signals…

And then there was Gaston-she tried everything to not think about that.  
So, she tried to think of other things. Like what she was going to take with her the next evening for her and Rumple to do for fun-and hopefully help convince him to go to the Christmas Party.  
So before work, she made a list of everything she would need and planned on a trip to the grocery store once her shift was over to collect what she didn't have.  
The next evening, she packed all she could think of in the bag he had lent her for the books-the one to make everything feel light as a feather-and she put on her warm white winter coat and headed up the mountain.  
She was giddy at the thought of seeing him again, and hoped he felt the same.

Rumple was nervous that evening and he didn't even know why. He had spent plenty of time with this girl already, why was this any different? Hells, why had he even dressed nicer for her visit this time? He was still in his usual leathers, but he wore a brighter colored shirt-yellow-made of soft silk under his vest.

When he felt her presence as she headed up the mountain he sent Max out to greet her. The wolf happily bounded out to meet her.

Belle grinned wide as soon as she saw Max, dodging him as he happily tried to jump on her so she wouldn't fall. The last thing she wanted to do was fall, especially on such a steep mountain.  
"How are you Max," she asked as she ruffled the hair on the top of his head. "And is Rumple in a nice mood this evening?"

Max barked as if to say yes, and he trotted alongside her as they walked up the mountain. Rumple was waiting for them at the door, smiling. "Well hello there," he said.

"Hi," Belle said bashfully as a blush filled her cheeks. She couldn't stop it because the moment she saw Rumple all she could think about was how she had woken up in his lap…would he say something about that?

"And what's all this you've brought with you?" he asked as he led her and Max inside and eyed her pack.

She cast a glance down at her bag, which thankfully weighed practically nothing despite the amount of stuff inside it. Smiling brightly up at Rumple, she said, "I brought a recipe and all the ingredients to make sugar cookies…" She paused. "I was hoping we could decorate them for um…for Christmas. It is a tradition…"  
And hopefully it would be a way to bring them both some Christmas spirit.  
"And then perhaps afterwards we can sit and enjoy them by the fire while I read to you or we could watch a movie…"  
She had brought several options with her, unsure of what he had or wanted.

Sugar Christmas cookies… When was she going to understand that he didn't like Christmas? But it wasn't like he could send her away now. He cleared his throat, not enthused. "I ah… I don't have a TV…But we could read together."

Her smile grew a little bigger. She had expected him to flat out deny her. "That's alright…I brought a few books as well. You can choose one you might like."  
What she didn't tell him was that they were all Christmas related stories.

"Well come in then, let's head to the kitchen," he said. Taking her coat and hanging it up by the door he led her to a kitchen where they could make these ridiculous cookies.

That evening Belle wore a white lace shirt that was partially see through with a bow around the neck and a green mini skirt with red tights. She was trying to wear colors that would help with the Christmas mood and she had chosen the white shirt intentionally because it was slightly transparent, but she was slightly nervous about wearing in front of Rumple, even though it was still very tasteful.  
She began to pull all the ingredients and utensils out of the bag. "I wasn't sure what you had so I brought everything."

Rumple was distracted by her outfit, her legs in the tights and the slight see through-ness of her skirt. Gods, why did she have to get his blood boiling? What even was this? He cleared his throat and nodded. "It's fine," he said.

"Have you ever made cookies before?" she asked him while she organized all the ingredients.

He nodded. "A long time ago. I don't really bake anymore though."

"Well sugar cookies are relatively easy, although we do have to let the dough rise for a couple of hours after we mix it."  
After washing her hands, she pulled out the recipe. "Would you like to put the ingredients in the bowl while I read them to you?" He wasn't very enthused and she was trying her best to get him involved.

He half smiled. "Sure." he said softly and he went over to her and the ingredients as Belle began to read off the directions.

Rumple followed her instructions carefully as he added all of the ingredients. He thought he was doing rather well.

"Alright, now we just need to mix well, roll into a ball and let it refrigerate for two hours," she told him.

Once it was prepared and placed it in his refrigerator she told him,  
"Now we can make icing while we wait."

"How do we do that?" he asked, smiling a bit. He wasn't hating this as much as he had thought.

Belle giggled. "Well I have a recipe for that too…and I brought food coloring. So we could make different colors-perhaps…green and red?"

"Do we have to do Christmas colors?" he frowned.

"Well, we are making Christmas cookies," she reasoned. She had also brought only Christmas cookie cutters and Christmas sprinkles and edible decorations.

He looked at her, but he couldn't be that annoyed, she was still trying to get him to go to the Christmas party. "…As you wish," he said begrudgingly.

He agreed to it, but Belle could tell he was not happy about it even if he was trying to pretend he was.  
As she began to mix the ingredients for the icing, she worked up the courage to finally ask him something that she had wondered long before they ever met. "Rumple…why do you hate Christmas so much?"

"I've told you before," he said. "Everyone is fake. It's the fake happiness and the fake cheer and the fake Santa Claus mascot and everyone is pretending to be so happy and in reality they're all miserable and hate each other…"

Belle frowned. That didn't seem like a good enough reason to loathe it as much as he did. There was something else he wasn't telling her. "I understand where you're coming from-I've experienced some similar things-but it doesn't mean you have to swear off Christmas all together. Not everyone is like what you say. There are many enjoyable things related to Christmas…"

He shook his head and didn't look at her. "No… Everyone is like that," he said. Memories flashed before his eyes and he shook his head again. "It doesn't matter, are we finishing these cookies or not?"

"Oh…uh…" She frowned deeply and stared down at the bowl of icing sadly. "Only if you want to…" She inhaled sharply and didn't allow him to answer her. "D…do you think I'm like that?" she asked softly and sadly.

He looked over at her, confliction plain on his face. "….I hope not…"

Belle turned her head so that her eyes met his. "You either do believe it or you don't? Which one is it?" she asked, slightly agitated that he could even possibly think that she hated him. But if he really did believe that it might be best for her to leave.

He hesitated as he looked at her. He really didn't want to believe that she would laugh at him or run from him like everyone else had… "…I don't believe that you hate me," he said.

Belle could practically feel the weight being lifted off her shoulders. She didn't want him to think she hated him or was fake or would hurt him in some way. The thought of leaving had her on the verge of tears…but that wasn't going to happen.  
"Do you…um…do you want to continue with the cookies?" she asked softly.

He cleared his throat and nodded. "Yeah…yeah, let's make the cookies."

She smiled. "Alright." She went back to mixing the icing and chose to make the first batch green.  
Without thinking she took her finger and ran it along the side of the bowl to capture a little bit and taste it. Placing her finger in her mouth, she licked every last bit off and moaned with delight.

His heart basically stopped when she did that, when he heard her moan… Why did she have to do that? Why did she have to make his blood boil, his heart race, his knees weak… He just stared at her, not knowing what to do.

Belle opened her eyes and smiled warmly at him. "It's delicious…would you like to taste?" She held the bowl of icing out for him.

He looked at her and he took some frosting on his finger as she had. He smiled at her nervously before tasting it. "It's very good."

Very good indeed, so good that Belle couldn't stop herself from trying having more. She moaned again, but softer this time. "We should make the red frosting before I eat this entire bowl," she said lightheartedly.

He swallowed and his heart raced at her moan again. Her sweet lips were so tempting to him; he didn't know what to do with himself. He cleared his throat and turned away for a little bit.

Belle immediately noticed a change in him and she suddenly became worried. "Rumple? Is something wrong? If you don't want to continue…"

"No no no, I want to keep making these," he said. "Sorry, I got lost in thought."

"Oh…" She smiled at him. "You seem distracted…may I ask what you're thinking about?"

He cleared his throat and shook his head. "It's not important. Let's just get back to the cookies."

"Okay," Belle replied, not dwelling on it. If he wasn't upset she didn't want to make him. "Why don't you make the red icing since I did the green?"

He nodded and he started working on the second bowl of icing.

While he worked, Belle took the liberty to climb up on the table right next to him, letting her legs hang off the side.  
The bowl of green icing sat in her lap and she took another small bite.  
"Let's see if yours taste as delicious as mine," she challenged playfully.

He chuckled and held the bowl out for her to taste. "See for your self."

Belle eyed the bowl of red stuff first and then him. She smiled at him knowingly before reaching in and taking a glob.  
As she put the icing in her mouth, she took her time with it, licking it off her finger at an agonizingly slow rate. The entire time too her eyes remained on him. When she was finished though, she did not give away whether she liked it more or less.

Damn damn damn damn! What was she doing to him?! He felt so hot and uncomfortable, and he just wanted to pull her to him and… And what? He had no idea… He swallowed thickly, his mouth going dry. "…Well?" he choked out.

She pulled her finger out of her mouth finally and crossed one leg over the other. She smiled as if she had the upper hand. "I think you used magic to make yours taste better than mine," she challenged.

He chuckled. "I-I promise, no magic," he said, his eyes following the curves of her legs…. They must be so soft… What that hell were these thoughts?!

She still smiled at him suspiciously, showing him she wasn't entirely sure she believed him. "Why don't you try for yourself?"  
Without thinking, she dipped her own finger in his icing and held the sample out for him.

He looked at her finger and his eyes widened. She… She expected him to lick the frosting off of her finger? ….No she couldn't. With a shaking hand he reached over and took some of the frosting off her finger before tasting it.

The moment Belle had done it she instantly regretted it. What the hell had come over her to try something so bold?  
And thank the gods he didn't actually lick her finger-not that she would mind.  
"Well?" she asked waiting for his opinion and trying to move past her silly awkward mistake.

He half smiled. "Both taste good. And I didn't use any magic." Gods, his heart was still beating so fast…

Belle's eyes locked with his and she could feel another blush creep up on her cheeks. Was Ruby right? Was she falling in love with this man?  
A bark snapped her out of her thoughts and she turned to see Max sitting on the floor expectantly.  
Belle giggled. "I suppose you want some too! Here you can be the judge…"  
Grabbing a spoon, she scooped out a tiny amount of icing from each bowl and gave it to Max.

Rumple laughed at Max. "Are you sure frosting is good for dogs?" he asked patting the wolf's head. Max quickly lapped up the frosting on the spoon and he barked happily. Rumple could barely take his eyes off of Belle. Gods, he really was falling for her, wasn't he?

"It's just a small amount-and there's no chocolate-chocolate is bad for them." She then realized something and turned to Rumple. "I'm sorry…I should have asked you first before giving him some."

He shook his head and waved his hand dismissively. "It's alright as long as it's safe."

Belle nodded her head and looked over at the bowls of icing. "Well…we still have some time before the dough is ready. Shall we start reading?"

"I'd like that," he said with a smile. "Ah, we should make sure that Max can't get to the food, he'll eat everything if we're not careful."

"Oh yes," Belle agreed, hopping off the table. "Just show me where to put it."  
She grabbed some plastic wrap to cover the icing and Rumple put it away.

Finishing up in the kitchen, Belle reached in her bag and pulled out a rather thick book. She bit her lip nervously-almost terrified to tell Rumple what it was.  
If she kept pushing too much Christmas on him, he might grow angry-but she wanted him to be eased into it in case he did decide to go to the party.

"So what book do we have here?" he asked with a smile. He was finally calming down.

Belle clung it to her chest as they walked side by side to the library while Max trailed behind.  
"Well it's a classic…an old book indeed…by…um…Charles Dickens…"  
She began to chew on her lip now waiting for his reaction-if he even could decipher which book she meant.

He didn't know who Charles Dickens was, though it did sound familiar. "OK, what's the story?" he asked.

"It's one of my favorites actually…" she continued, dodging the answer. Perhaps if she summarized it, he would be more excited. "About a man named Scrooge. He…um…is a miserable old man who cares about nothing but money. His ways become so bad that he ends up being visited by three ghosts who show him the past, present, and future in hopes of changing his ways…"

"Well that sounds interesting," he said. And strangely familiar…. "I hope this isn't going to be referring to me…"

Belle giggled. "No of course not. I think the only thing you and Scrooge have in common is you both like to be left alone." She thought about it…well and that there was a kind man underneath the mask…and the fact they were both lonely… There were more similarities than she had considered. Oh well…hopefully he wouldn't think anything of them.  
They arrived in the library where a bright blazing fire was already going. Belle took a seat on the floor right in front of it and waited for Rumple.

He smiled and he sat with her, closer than he usually would, but he just…. Wanted to be close to her.

Max settled down right in front of them and placed his head on his paws. After petting him, Belle cleared her throat and opened the book and began to read, starting from Chapter One. " Marley was dead to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge signed it: and Scrooge's name was good upon 'Change, for anything he chose to put his hand to. Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail…."  
There wasn't an immediate mention of Christmas, but as she neared the middle of the chapter she knew he was about to find out… "Once upon a time – of all the good days in the year, on Christmas Eve – old Scrooge sat busy in his counting-house. It was cold, bleak, biting weather…"  
She kept on reading as if he wouldn't interrupt her.

Christmas. Dammit, she was reading him a Christmas book. Why was she so damn persistent? He just wanted to spend time with her, he wanted to forget about Christmas. But he didn't dare interrupt her, so he swallowed his holiday hate and listened to her read. Hells, it could be a good book….

He wasn't interrupting her! That was a great sign! Maybe she was getting somewhere with him…or he was just enjoying the story. Either way, she was excited and continued reading, expressing all the emotions she was feeling as she read.  
It wasn't until the little timer went off that she stopped.  
Finding a good place to mark the page she smiled at Rumple. "Ready to go finish the cookies?"

He cleared his throat and nodded. Though he hated Christmas, he was enjoying the story quite a bit…. "Yeah, cookies sound good."

"Great, let's go," she said, placing the book down and standing to her feet. Max had fallen asleep in front of the fire and she made sure not to disturb him.

Rumple got up and he followed her to the kitchen. "Oh, I forgot to ask how yesterday went? With you father…"

"Oh…well he was upset, but I told him I was just out with a girlfriend and forgot to call…"

"You didn't get into too much trouble did you?" he asked.

Belle shook her head. "I just apologized and promised I would call next time." She was not going to tell him about Ruby. They were having a good time and she feared he would be upset.

He nodded. "Well as long as everything went well." They got to the kitchen and pulled out the cookie dough.

Belle took out the roller while Rumple collected the dough. She wiped down the table to make sure it was clean and then she sprinkled powered sugar down on it.  
"Here, lay it down and then we roll it out as flat as we would like the cookies to be," she instructed.

He nodded and went over, taking the dough out of the bowl and placed it on the table.

Belle took the rolling pin and began working with it. "The cookie cutters are still in the bag," she told him.

He nodded and he went through the bag, bringing out the cookie cutters. "Here we are," he said and put them on the table.

"Great! Now let's cut out the cookies and place them on the tray. We decorate them after they cook."  
There was an assortment of shapes on the table but all of them were somehow related to Christmas.

He really was getting annoyed that she kept pushing this Christmas theme…

Belle grabbed the tree and cut out a couple of them, before she looked up to Rumple. "Are you going to help?" she asked sensing yet again that something was wrong.

"Of course," he said. "Why do you think I won't?"

"It's just…" She shook her head. "No, it's nothing."  
She took her trees and gently scooped them up trying not to break them as she transferred them to the cooking tray.

He figured she was scared she would annoy him with the Christmas themes going on. "….Look… Just because I don't like Christmas doesn't mean that I won't do something fun with you."

"I understand," Belle said with a nod. "I just worry you aren't enjoying yourself-that you can't look past the fact that it's something to do with Christmas and focus on what truly matters."

"I can," he said. "And right now what truly matters is spending time with you."

"And you're having fun?" she asked looking up at him expectantly with a smile.

"Absolutely," he said. He was having fun with her… whenever his god damn heart would stop racing long enough.

"Good," she replied and glanced down at the bowl of icing that sat on the table next to the dough. Unable to stop herself, she reached in and took another bite. It really was very delicious.  
Her eyes traveled up to his and she suddenly became very playful. "I want you to enjoy yourself…" She reached into the bowl and picked up another glob. "Even with icing on your nose…" She reached out to place the sweet stuff on the tip of his nose and laughed.

"Ak, hey!" he said and he tried dodging her finger of frosting but he wasn't fast enough leaving a decent glob on the edge of his pointed nose. He smirked and playfully glared at her.

Belle's hand came up to cover her mouth as she tried to muffle her laughter. He looked absolutely adorable with that icing on the end of his nose…

Rumple wiped the icing off his face but instead of putting it on a napkin he reached out and dabbed in on Belle's nose.

Belle gasped having not expected that, even though she probably should have. Wiping it off with her palm, Belle wasn't sure she even got it all, but she didn't care.  
Pretending like she was about to turn around and go back to cutting she slyly slipped her hand back into the bowl and suddenly swirled back around to get him back.

Rumple laughed and this time he was able to dodge her. "Gotta move faster than that!" he taunted.

Belle smiled at him mischievously before she ducked around the table and tried to come at him from the other side.

Rumple laughed again and moved out of the way. "You better not get any on my clothes, this is real leather and silk!"

Belle took a second to look him up and down and for the first time she noticed he was dressed a little nicer than usual-in black leather pants, a gold silk shirt and a red velvet vest to cover it. It was subtle, that's why she hadn't noticed, because his clothes were already so unique that she hadn't even considered it.  
But those leather pants…he wore those a lot…and now that she was thinking about them and looking at them and how tight they were…her blood began to feel like it was heating up and there was a strange feeling in the depths of her belly. She blushed and quickly looked away. "Not the best thing to wear when making cookies…" It wasn't like she could say anything either with her white lace shirt. "It can get messy…"

"You're one to talk. Wearing white…" He made an extravagant hand gesture, trying to play it off. He couldn't really think though…

Wearing white…that gave Belle another idea. She just assumed he was joking with her about the clothes, but she would try to keep anything off it if possible.  
Pretending like she was giving up. She strolled leisurely around to the front of the table again.  
"I like white…" Her hand was then in the powered sugar bowl and she quickly tossed a little handful at him, aiming for his hair. Hopefully she wouldn't regret it.

Suddenly Rumple found his hair being covered by the white powdery sugar. It rained from his head and onto his red vest. He laughed. "Belle!" he cried and tried shaking the powder from his hair.

Belle giggled again and stepped back away from him in case he tried to retaliate. "I like sugar too," she added, teasing him.

"Oh really?" he chuckled and he reached into the powdered sugar bowl and he threw some at her.

She was far enough away from him that she managed to dodge the sugar. Laughing, she looked at him with her chin raised. "Who's the fast one now?" she taunted.

He chuckled and he ran to her, and he threw some more sugar at her, and this time it hit her, covering her neck and her….her chest…

Belle sputtered a little as a bit flew in her mouth. She giggled and licked the sugar off her lips before she grabbed another handful of sugar and tossed it back at him.  
They were definitely making a mess of the kitchen, but Belle was having so much fun she didn't think anything of it.

He laughed and dodged her throw. "I think we should stop now," he laughed. "There's plenty enough to clean up." That was his excuse, but honestly he was so distracted…

Belle sighed and nodded. "You're right," she agreed begrudgingly. Glancing over at the table she added. "I suppose we need some left over to finish the cookies…"

He nodded and he ran his fingers through his hair, trying to get the sugar out.

Now that they called a truce, Belle stepped back over close to him. She glanced down at herself to see how much sugar was actually on her. Most of it was concentrated around her neck and chest-a little on her shirt and skirt.  
She moved her hair to the side, to try and keep the sugar out of it, but that motion also exposed more of her sugar coated, creamy skin.  
She tried to dust some of the powder off but it most of it wasn't going anywhere.

His breath caught when he saw her exposed skin…. It took every ounce of strength he had to keep himself from pushing her against the table and licking all of that sugar off… Oh gods, his heart was going to explode…

Belle had absolutely no idea what kind of thoughts were going through Rumple's head or knew what this was really doing to him.  
Walking over to the sink, she picked up a small towel, dampened it, and began to wipe the sugar off the best she could starting with her neck and moving down towards her chest. "I think we will both need proper showers to get all this sugar off," she mused as she tried to work the last bit out of her cleavage without pulling her shirt down and exposing herself.

Oh gods, his pants were getting uncomfortable now…. He coughed at her suggestion of showers and he could only picture her in the shower with him… "…Right…"

Belle smiled at him from across the kitchen, before she rinsed out her towel. Noticing how he was struggling to get the sugar out of his hair, she walked up to him with the freshly rinsed towel. "Here let me help," she offered and reached up to begin wiping the sugar out of his hair the best she could.

He swallowed thickly when she came so close to him. Gods, make her stop! He could just use magic to remove all the sugar, but then she wouldn't be doing this. No… Don't make her stop. He wanted her close, closer than this. But his muscles were still tense and stiff and he had no idea what to do.

Concentrating on getting the sugar out of his hair, Belle did not notice how he was acting. But as she finished up she brought the towel to his face to wipe the little bit off that was there. Her eyes met his just then and she smiled shyly as she wiped away the last bit. "There…" she breathed quietly as she got lost in his eyes, unable to back away. They were the most interesting eyes she had ever seen and her heart began to beat faster. Oh how she wished he would kiss her…

He met her eyes and he almost kissed her right then and there. He certainly wanted to, but… He just couldn't. He however couldn't take his eyes away from her…

He was going to kiss her; she was sure of it. He was definitely looking at her like he was about to and he was not moving away…but what was taking him so long?  
Was he nervous maybe?  
Her hand came forward to meet with his and she interlocked her fingers with his as a way to signal that it would be okay.

Her hand held his, as if she was encouraging him to kiss her. But he couldn't. He just…. Couldn't. He let go of her hand and took a few steps back, clearing his throat.

It hurt to have him step back like that and she knew she had overstepped her bounds. He never wanted to kiss her; again she had just imagined everything. Her heart felt like it was breaking, even though she knew she shouldn't be upset about this.  
She had known from the beginning that all he wanted was a friendship and he had barely wanted that.  
She had only known him for a few weeks and she had been stupid enough to let herself fall for an unattainable man.  
It was hard not to let her disappointment show and she plastered on a fake smile.  
"Let's cut out the cookies so we can get them in the oven," she instructed as she went back to cutting the shapes and rolling the dough.

He nodded, but now his heart was heavy…. He went back to working on getting the oven ready for them to bake.

Belle continued to cut out the shapes until the dough became so small it was impossible to make anything out of it. She flattened the last little bit and placed it on the tray with the other cookies. "Is the oven ready?" she asked Rumple.

He nodded and opened the oven. "Hot and ready to go," he said.

"Great," Belle replied. Picking up the two trays, she brought them over to the oven and bent over to place them in, careful not to burn herself.

He caught a glimpse up her skirt and god dammit his heart was racing again. Stop it stop it stop it! But he couldn't stop staring…

After placing the cookies in the oven, Belle set the timer, stood back up and turned around. It was then she noticed him staring. She looked down and around at herself, thinking there might be something on her. "What is it?" she asked. "Did I miss some powdered sugar?"

He cleared his throat and shook his head. "No, you're fine," he said. "So how long will the cookies take?"

What was he staring at then, Belle wondered. "Not long-about 14 minutes." She walked over and began cleaning up their mess. "I can clean while we wait."

He nodded. "I ah…. I'll go check on Max," he said and he left the room before she could stop him.

Belle tried to call out for him but he was gone before she could even say anything. Why did he retreat so fast? Had she somehow angered him? Maybe he was upset she had made such a mess of the kitchen?

Rumple finally felt he could breathe when he got out of there but he didn't feel any better. Gods, he just wanted to be near her, he wanted her… But he had no idea what to do… He checked on Max who was just waking up and he pet the dog, his heart heavy.

Max stretched and yawned wide, before he relaxed and looked up at his Master. He then glanced around to see that the pretty lady was nowhere to be seen. He whimpered lightly as a way to ask where she went.

"She's in the kitchen, calm down," he sighed, scratching behind his ears.

Max visibly relaxed, however he could sense something was off about his Master. He seemed off put-frazzled even. He barked loudly asking what was wrong.

Rumple looked at his dog. "It fine, everything is fine," he said. "She's cleaning up."

Max looked at his Master suspiciously. He should know by now that he knew when his Master was lying.

"What? What am I supposed to say? That the reason I'm in here is because she's driving me mad, my heart racing, my blood boiling, everything feeling hot and tight and I…. I don't even know what to do…"

Max tilted his head at his Master. Oh he understood now. After all these years his Master had finally found a mate. Good. His Master needed a mate. He was too lonely all the time. And that pretty lady was perfect. She was always petting him and she gave him yummy things to eat. And she made the Master smile and calmer than he usually was. Max prefered it when his Master was happy.  
He barked, encouraging Rumple to stop hiding from her. He knew that was what he was doing-Master liked to hide.

"I'm not going back in there! I didn't know what to say, I can't even think right when I'm with her!"

Max's tongue flopped out of his mouth as he whimpered one more time, but it was more of a laugh-the closest thing to a laugh a wolf could do.  
Standing up, Max began to nudge Rumple's legs, pushing him toward the direction of the kitchen.

"Hey, stop that! I'm not going back, I'll just wait until she comes her."

Max didn't give up though and continued pushing against his legs. Knowing his Master he probably ran away from her and made her believe he was angry about something.

"Max!" he said as he tried to resist the wolf's nudges but that was the problem with having a wolf five times regular size. "Alright alright I'm going!" He headed back to the kitchen.

Belle had just finished cleaning up all the sugar on the floor and table when Rumple walked back in. The timer for the cookies was also going off and she was in the middle of getting the oven mitts and pulling them out of the oven.

He cleared his throat when he entered, having no idea what to do. Why did she make him so nervous? "Cookies are done?" he asked.

"Yes," Belle said as she placed the two hot trays down to cool. Taking the oven mits off, she turned around to face him. "And I've cleaned up all the sugar…again…I'm sorry I made such a mess…"  
She felt nervous and truly believed the reason he ran out was because he was angry with her about throwing the powered sugar.

He shook his head. "It's alright, it was fun," he said. "You didn't need to, I could have used magic…"

Belle was confused now. "You fled the room so fast afterwards…I thought you were angry…" She kept her distance from him, her hands crossed in front of her as she twirled her feet nervously.

He shook his head and placed his hands on her shoulders. "No, I wasn't," he said. I just needed some air."

Belle looked up at him, still uncertain. "Oh…so I did nothing wrong?" she confirmed.

"Absolutely nothing wrong," he said. "Now, when are the cookies going to he cool enough to frost?"

Belle inwardly relaxed. She was so worried. All she wanted was for him to like her-as more than just a friend.  
"Not long. We can set the decorations out on the table as a place for us to work."

He nodded. "As long as you don't eat all the frosting that is," he teased her.

Belle chuckled and smiled at him slyly. "Perhaps I might…your frosting was very tasty…"  
She walked over to the table and began setting things up, pulling other goodies out of the bag. There were a variety of sprinkles, edible decorations-all Christmas related of course-and small chocolate candies for eyes or buttons and such.

He chuckled and went to the table. "I hope this will he fun…"

"Well it has been so far…" Belle mused and smiled over at him.

He smiled softly. "Yes it has…"

Belle continued to smile at him until she didn't feel she could hold his gaze any longer. She blushed and looked away, glancing over at the cookies. "They should be cool by now…"

He nodded and looked away as well. Dammit, why did he have to feel this way? Why?

Belle walked over and began to gather all the cookies on a plate. Taking the full plate over to the table and had a seat. She looked up at Rumple to see what he was going to do. He seemed nervous…

Rumple sat down beside her and he brought the frosting and decorations closer to them.

Belle's grin grew when he chose the chair next to her. She had worried he would try to keep his distance and she did not want that.  
"Which one would you like to do first?" she asked, indicating the different shapes.

"How about you show me what you want us to do," he said. It had been many years since he had even baked at all.

"Oh…alright."  
Belle picked out one of the tree shapes. "Well you can decorate it any way you would like…but if we want it to resemble a tree we should put the green frosting on top."  
She scooped the green frosting out with a knife and spread it over the cookie. "Then we could add little round candies to mimic ornaments or you could put sprinkles on it…"

Rumple nodded and watched before taking a cookie and copying her movements. It was a lot sloppier than Belle's but still edible.

Belle could see he was trying and she didn't laugh at him. She knew this was new to him.  
"We can put the finished cookies on this plate," she said, having put a large empty plate on the table.

He nodded and he put the cookie on the plate. In comparison, his was terrible, but she wasn't saying anything… He moved on to the next cookie, and he was getting a little better.

Belle glanced over at him every once in a while to see how he was. "You're doing great," she encouraged. "You don't have to make it exactly like mine though…you can make up your own designs."

"I'm just practicing," he said. "It's been a long time since I've done anything like this."

"I understand." Belle finished up another cookie and placed it in the ever growing pile. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, preparing to ask him a question. "H…have you always hated Christmas Rumple?"

"Always," he said without hesitation. "I can't remember a time when I didn't." He really didn't want to talk about his past. He might slip up…

"Even when you were a little boy?" she asked finding it hard to believe. She was trying so hard to get to know him.

"Didn't have a childhood, remember?" he said. "Was born of darkness and hate, I wasn't ever a little boy."

Belle's mouth fell open in shock. She remembered he said he didn't have a childhood, but she never took that to mean he was not actually ever a child.  
"S…so when you were created, you were an adult?"

"Of course," he said with a flurry of one hand. "Why would I not?"

Belle continued to decorate the cookies as they talked. "Oh…well when you told me you were born by magic, I thought you meant you were still born a child and grew old…" She paused and looked up at him. "Wait…does that mean you don't age?"

"I don't know," he said softly. "I have grey hair that wasn't there before but other than that there's not much difference. Maybe I'm immortal, who knows, I didn't come with an instruction manual."

What if he was immortal? Could that be why he wanted to keep his distance from her-to not want to engage in a relationship? If he thought he might out live her for eternity…  
"Do you at least know how old you are?" she wondered.

He thought for a long while and finally shook his head. "I've forgotten. Lost count after a while." He really couldn't remember how old he was…that wasn't a lie.

"Oh…" Belle said, frowning. Maybe he was immortal. If that was true then it was unlikely they could ever be anything more than friends.  
She tried to move the subject away from that. "What about other holidays? Do you hate everything or just Christmas?"

He shrugged. "Don't much care for Easter since I don't see the point of looking for eggs. I don't have anyone to share Valentine's Day with. No family for Thanksgiving, other than Max but we don't celebrate. The only one I really like is Halloween, I can walk around in a mask and no one questions it. And it's fun scaring people. Other than that, I don't really care for any holidays."

"I enjoy Halloween too. Dressing up…candy…its just fun and I love watching how excited the children get."

He shrugged. "Kids are alright …Not that I'll ever have any." He stopped at his own words. Until recently he had never even thought about having a family. But with Belle… He actually did want that. And it hurt that he knew he would never have one, not with her, not with anyone…

Belle's heart felt like it stopped. What did he mean by that? That he never wants kids? Or that he didn't think he'd ever find someone to have a family with?  
Belle had never been one to want a big family…but she had always dreamed of having a child-only if she ever found someone she truly loved.  
Despite how she might feel about Rumple, she knew he was probably never going to be that man because he wouldn't want that too.

Her silence caught him off guard and he figured she thought that he would never want kids. "Not-Not that I wouldn't want kids some day but… I-I doubt anyone would want them with me…" Why was he telling her this? Why did it even matter? Did he want her to think that he wanted kids with her?….Maybe. He was so confused in his own mind…

Belle looked up from her decorating. "Why do you believe that?" she asked, trying not to make it sound like she was pining after him.  
If he would have her she could see a family with him one day…

He chuckled but his heart wasn't in it. "Dark One?" he reminded her. "Definition of darkness and evil and hated by all the world? Who has dark magic flowing through his veins and a black shriveled lump for a heart? And now the rumor is that I eat children? No one would want me to be the father of their children." He went back to decorating the cookies.

"I don't hate you…and I know all those silly rumors are false." She could have told him that if her were to let others get to know him they would see the same, however, she didn't like the thought of telling him he could find a woman somewhere else.

He glanced at her as sighed softly. "…I don't hate you either," he said. He had said it before, but it was more of a substitute for spilling his heart out to her.

Belle smiled warmly. "I'm glad…"

Rumple smiled softly and he went back to the cookies. Together they finished them and his turned out pretty good after all.

"Shall we take these back in the library with a tall glass of milk?" she asked. "I can continue reading a Christmas Carol…"

He nodded. "Sounds like a perfect evening," he said. He went over to the ice chest and pulled out the milk, pouring them their glasses. "We just have to make sure Max doesn't get these."

"Ha…yes we do," she agreed.  
Grabbing the plate of cookies, she carried it into the library while Rumple carried the milk.  
Taking her seat in front of the fire again, Max instantly ran over to her and began sniffing at the plate of cookies.  
Belle giggled and tried to keep them out of reach, but she was clearly struggling. "Hey now these are for all of us!"

Rumple chuckled and put the glasses on top of the fireplace before going over to Max. "Hey! Not for you," he said as he pushed the big pup away from the plate.

Max looked at both Belle and Rumple with wide begging eyes. He wanted cookies. He wanted all the cookies.

"No, not yours," he said firmly. "Go lay down." He pointed away from the cookies.

Max whimpered and hung his head low. He then slinked away, lying down on the floor at a distance, but keeping an eye on them.

Rumple shook his head and got the milk down. "We better keep the cookies between us in case he tries to get at them again," he said, handing her glass to her.

"Of course," she said, taking the milk from him so he could sit.

He nodded and he sat down with her, the plate in between them. He eagerly waited for her to continue reading; he wanted to see how this story ended. Despite it being Christmas related, he was enjoying it.

Belle picked the book up and started reading from where they left off. Every once in a while she would pause to take a bite of a cookie and didn't realize after finishing one of them she had a trail of icing lingering on her top lip.

Rumple listened to her reading, loving the sound of her voice. Then he noticed the icing on her lips and he wanted nothing more than to kiss and lick it off, but dammit he knew she'd scream and run. He cleared his throat. "Belle you've…. Got a little something on your lip…"

"Huh?" Belle paused to the interruption. Her finger came up and traced over the top of her lip, removing the icing, and then she slipped the finger into her mouth to finish it off.  
She smiled over at him. "Delicious…"

He swallowed thickly and half smiled. "Well…. Shall we keep reading?"

"Yes…" Belle took a sip of milk and stared the story again.  
She read for quite sometime after that, getting deep into the book. She had read it many times before, but every time she became lost in the story.  
When she came to the chapter where Scrooge chose money and power over his lady love-who coincidentally was also named Belle-she began to tear up and had to stop for a moment.

Rumple saw her reaction and he sat up, taking her hands. "Belle?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

Belle sniffled. "He had true love and he lost it all because he cared more about his money…"  
Belle began to cry a little more.

He looked at her and he gently wiped her tears away. He didn't know what to do, but he just wanted to kiss her…

Belle sniffled again and instinctively leaned into his touch. Her eyes came up to meet his. When he did things like this it made her think there was a chance. Oh why wouldn't he just kiss her?

He met her eyes and he wanted to kiss her more than ever… He actually moved to, but he ended up placing a kiss to her cheek instead. Dammit dammit dammit!

As he saw he was leaning in toward her, Belle closed her eyes and puckered her lips ever so slightly waiting for the kiss to come. It practically felt like her heart was about to beat out of her chest and her head was swimming with anticipation. And she got a kiss…just not the one she was expecting.  
The kiss on the cheek caused her to open her eyes and briefly there was a twinge of disappointment. But he was shy-she knew that-and maybe that's all this was. Before he could pull away too far she did the brave thing and quickly leaned in to capture his lips with hers, hoping to all the gods her shy hypothesis was correct.

Oh gods oh gods oh gods she was leaning to kiss him, what should he do?! Finally he gave in and he kissed her lips and his hand came up to her cheek. Her lips were so soft and tasted like the cookies. Gods, was this heaven? He never wanted to stop…

He was kissing her back! He was really kissing her back! Not moving away! Not dodging her! Maybe he did want this too…maybe he could possibly have feelings for her…  
Belle hummed happily into his mouth, before shifting so that she was at a better angle where he could pull her into his arms if he wanted to.

His arms did wrap around her, holding her close to him. He was actually kissing her and she wasn't running. His heart swelled and raced as he held her close and kissed for the first time. He… He loved her.

Belle arms came up to snake around his neck. Being this close to him, feeling that he wanted this, it felt like an enormous weight had been lifted off Belle's shoulders.

Slowly, slowly, he pulled away just enough for their lips to part. He rested his forehead on hers and he gazed at her, into her eyes. Her beautiful blue eyes. He never thought that he would ever find love in his entire life and yet here he was, in the arms of a beautiful woman who had pushed down his walls and worked her way into his heart, warming it, thawing it, bringing it to life. He smiled at her and kissed her again.

Belle barely had any time to think or say anything before his lips were on her again. But she wasn't going to complain. She had been practically begging him to kiss her all night-she was going to take advantage of it while she could. As she shifted a little bit more, her foot knocked over one of the glasses that still had milk in it, but she didn't care or even flinch. Her lips were interlocked with Rumple's and in that moment she had no other care in the world.

He didn't even notice the spilt milk, his mind was just filled with Belle. He pulled her as close as he could, wanting to feel her warmth. He wanted to pull her close until they were the same person. His heart was trying to break out of his chest, like it didn't belong to him anymore. It belonged to Belle. Finally he had to pull away for air but he still held her close. He smiled at her and gently stroked her face with his fingers. He loved her so much…

Belle was panting slightly too and she whimpered lightly when he pulled away but she didn't dare say anything to ruin the delicate situation. Now she desperately wanted to taste him-to have a much deeper kiss, but she was going to leave that up to him. She didn't want to rush.  
She sighed happily when he brushed her cheek, letting one of her hands come up and cover his. She needed to say something-she had to say something, but what?  
"D…did you want to finish the story?"

"Soon," he said softly. "Right now I… I just want you close." He couldn't take his eyes off of her and he just wanted too kiss her again and again, more, but he didn't know what else he could do…

"Close is nice…" Belle told him as she put her forehead back against his. Behind them, Max had gotten up to lap up the milk and was slowly working his way to the leftover cookies. His master was busy with his mate so he knew he wouldn't care.

"Very nice," he said softly and he lips found hers once again. He couldn't stop himself anymore…

Belle let herself kiss him, pulling back this time. "You can um… You can kiss me deeper…you know…if you would like to…"  
Her face was flushed as she requested that.

He looked at her. He wasn't sure what deeper kiss meant, but he wanted to try. "…Teach me?" he whispered. "I-I've never… never kissed anyone before…"

"Never?" Belle said softly feeling her heart flutter. She was really the first woman he had ever kissed? Some of his actions made a lot more sense now. And she shouldn't have been surprised, but she was. Still, the thought that she was his very first kiss meant a lot to her-it made this very special.  
"I guess we will learn together…" she told him. She had never actually kissed anyone like that before-there was just one instance of a peck on the lips when she was in high school, but nothing more. She had never truly found anyone she wanted as much as Rumple. All she knew about kissing was from what she had seen in movies or read in books.

He shook his head at her "Never" and he hung his head. He hadn't done this before; there had been no one to kiss while he was up on the mountain. But her words about learning together had him look back up, and he smiled softly at her. He slowly leaned and kissed her again.

Belle relaxed into him, letting the kiss start out just as the other one had and when she thought they were both comfortable, she took her tongue and ran it along his bottom lip, trying to coax him to open his mouth for her.

Oh that felt strange, but surprisingly good at the same time and he slowly opened his mouth to her and their tongues met. Oh gods, she was heaven, she tasted like heaven, she felt like heaven. He could die a happy man right here. His voice made a sound he hadn't heard himself make before, a moan, and he held her tight.

Hearing his moan threw Belle off for a second by making her smile, but without breaking contact with his lips. Her hands clung to his shoulders as she tilted her head a little more so that she could let her tongue explore his mouth.  
This was certainly a little odd feeling to her too, and sloppy, but it was also very sensational and every touch, ever little movement made it feel like sparks exploding underneath her skin.

He pulled her so close she was practically on his lap and he could barely breath but he couldn't stop. He didn't want to stop, he just wanted to keep kissing her, keep exploring her.

Belle was feeling exactly the same way. She had never realized that kissing could feel like this…and she knew part of it had to do with the fact that she it was with Rumple. Every once in a while one of them would make a mistake or they would bump noses, but that didn't stop her. She just wanted to keep tasting Rumple and explore every little bit of his mouth.

Finally he had to pull away and he gasped for air. But he didn't dare let her go. He never wanted to let her go, he didn't want her to leave at the end of the day. He gazed into her eyes as he caught his breath. The words "I love you" were at the tip of his tongue, he just couldn't say it…. "That…" He whispered. "That was… perfect."

"It…w…as…" Belle replied gasping for breath. This was not how she had expected to spend her evening at Rumple's, but she wouldn't change anything about it. She knew her face was flushed and her lips felt swollen, but all she could think about was continuing on.  
Smiling softly at him, one her hands came up to cup his face and she let her hand snake through his hair before she pulled her lips to his once more.

He moaned again and kissed her back. He was growing more confident with kissing her, becoming more bold and experimenting more. He even nipped her lip a little bit, seeing if she would like it.

When he nibbled at her lip, Belle nearly melted and she moaned quite a bit herself. Her hand began to fist in his hair and pushed herself up against him as far as she could possibly go.  
Unintentionally, her leg brushed up against the crotch of his pants as she tried to get closer, but she was so lost in him that she didn't even notice. Otherwise, she would have been incredibly embarrassed.

He gasped when she brushed against him. His pants were already tight and hot and uncomfortable and then when she brushed him it just felt so god damn amazing, what the hell was going on?! But dammit, he wanted her to do it again, and he pulled her onto him like she was straddling him.

Belle broke away from him when he moved her, chuckling playfully and burying her head in his shoulder. This was becoming way more intimate than she had thought it would have…at least for their first kiss.  
But she didn't get up off of him. Instead she pulled back to look into his eyes, gripping either side of his shoulders. It was hard to see given his skin, but Belle could tell he was flushed and they both were practically out of breath.  
"For someone who's never kissed a girl you certainly are doing a great job."

He panted a bit as he smiled at her. "You-You think so?" he asked, catching his breath. He felt so hot, but it still felt good. His pants were so strained and the fact she was sitting on him wasn't helping but gods, he just wanted to kiss her again and again. He was about to when the grandfather clock in the corner began to gong. Nine o'clock at night. She would have to go home soon… His heart broke. No…

Belle felt just as hot and there was tingling sensation in her belly she just couldn't explain-not to mention it felt like her underwear was wet-how did that happen?  
The clock distracted her though and she took a deep breath. "Would you like me to read some more before I have to go home?"

He sighed softly and gazed at her. "Ate you sure you should stay any longer? We wouldn't want a repeat of last time…"

Belle chuckled. "I'm a grown woman-I can stay out as late as I would like. Besides my father knows that I planned on being out tonight." she paused " Are you ready for me to leave?"

He sighed softly and stroked her hair. "Honestly I never want you to leave again…" he admitted and kissed her cheek. "But you should go…"

Belle nodded and tilted her head to lean against his. She honestly did not want to move out of his arms. To stay forever sounded like a delightful idea, but it was probably too soon for that.  
She could however enjoy a few more moments in his arms until they had to part. Her wish had come true and she just wanted to bask in it as long as she could.  
"So you really enjoyed yourself tonight? Making the cookies I mean…"

He chuckled and nodded. "I did," he said. "I enjoy having you here… I enjoy you."

Belle sighed. "I enjoy being here with you as well, spending time with you…"  
She paused to take a deep breath. "And see, something Christmas related can be enjoyable. I think you could really enjoy the party as well…"

He sighed softly and slowly let her go. "Belle I don't want to go to the party," he said, pulling away from her. "Christmas is something that I just don't want to celebrate. Even if it is with you."

"Oh…" Belle's face fell and she pulled away ever so slightly so that she could avert her eyes. For some reason it felt like she was about to cry even though she already knew this about him. But there was something about hearing him say he wouldn't celebrate it with her that made it hurt more.  
If they were to continue to become something more and perhaps have a family would that mean she couldn't celebrate with her children either? She might have her doubts about Christmas…but her mother had provided her with so many wonderful memories that she had always dreamed of doing the same if she were to ever become a mother.

He sighed softly and his heart ached as he looked at her. "Belle don't get me wrong, I… I really do care for you, I-I adore you…. But I don't feel the same about Christmas." He said softly and took her hand.

Belle nodded her head and slowly she turned back to look at him when she was sure she wasn't going to cry. "I understand…and I've told you before I've had my doubts about Christmas too… I just hoped that maybe we could try and find out something more-to find out what Christmas is really about together…"

He gently stroked her face and sighed. "Perhaps…" he said softly. "…You should go…"

Belle nodded. She wanted to leave now…just to get a way to have time to herself while she was upset. Leaning forward, she placed another gentle kiss to his lips before she stood up.  
It was then that she noticed the knocked over glass and the empty plate.  
Max was lying right next to them and he picked up his head to look at her. His tail began to wag and she could clearly see remnants of icing around his snout.  
Belle put her hand over her mouth as she giggled. "I think all the cookies are gone…"

Rumple looked at his pet and sighed, shaking his head. "Oh well," he sighed. "We can always make more another time…" He pulled himself up and cleared away the plate and cups. "I'll ah… I'll walk you out."

"Alright…and I can leave all the baked goods here then, for next time…" She smiled at him and reached out to take his hand.  
"Goodbye Max," Belle called as they walked out of the library. "Until next time."

Max barked at her and his tail wagged as Rumple took her hand and led her out. Rumple was struggling with words, he wanted to ask her something. He walked with her out to the front door before he finally blurted out, "Belle would you have dinner with me tomorrow?"

Belle was in the middle of slipping on her shoes and jacket when she heard him. She turned to look at him and smiled. "Dinner? Where?" Was he actually asking her to go out in public with him to a restaurant?

"Ah, here," he clarified. "And I'll cook." Cook?! He hadn't cooked in years, how the hell was he going to do this?! He had to stay calm-he did have magic.

"Oh…" Of course he meant here, why did she even think he wanted to go out? He would be seen and he didn't want that.  
However, that didn't dissuade her from her answer.  
She reached out and grabbed his hand. "I would love to join you for dinner. Do you want me to bring anything?"

He shook his head. "No," he said. "And uh… Dress nice?"

"I can do that…and nice?"  
She eyed him suspiciously, but there was still a bright smile on her face.

He cleared his throat and looked down. "I… I was hoping it…it could be a date…" he stammered.

The smile on Belle's face only grew brighter. She squeezed his hand and stood up on her tip toes to placed a kiss to his cheek. "A date it will be then," she replied.

He smiled softly and gazed at her, nodding. He gently kissed her goodbye before he let her go. "Tomorrow then?"

"Tomorrow." Belle let her hand linger in his for as long as she could as she walked away until she finally let go.  
She waved to him one last time before she began her decent down the mountain toward home.

He watched her go and waved back at her. He would wait anxiously for tomorrow…

There was a skip in Belle's step as she walked home. Her hand kept coming up to touch her lips thinking about the kisses they had shared. He had really wanted to kiss her! It almost felt like a miracle. She began to picture a life with him-marriage, even children… But then she thought of her children never knowing the joy of Christmas-or all of them having to live on the mountain hidden away from everyone. Could she live a life like that?


	9. Chapter 9

That night Rumple didn't sleep; he couldn't stop thinking about Belle, her taste, her touch, and her warmth…. Her kisses had been pure heaven. He hadn't wanted to stop….

But now she had left and he had to plan what he wanted to do for dinner.

The next day he poured through all the cookbooks he could find in the library and he finally figured out something to cook.

Despite the worries Belle had of a future with Rumple, she couldn't deny her growing feelings for the man. She knew he would open up eventually; he just needed more time. Right now she would concentrate on the present.  
The next day Belle had to work a few hours with her father, but the entire time she was happier than usual, prancing around the post office singing and humming to herself.

Maurice noticed the change in his daughter's attitude and he smiled at her as they were closing up. "You seem very happy today," he said. "Any reason why?"

"Oh…um…" Belle had not even considered her father noticing a change in her mood. What was she going to tell him? There was no way she could say she wasn't meeting the Dark One for a date…or that they had already kissed…and that she was falling for him.  
"I'm just in the holiday spirit," she lied.

Maurice smiled and kissed her head. "I'm very happy that you finally got into the spirit again."

Belle kissed her Papa back on the cheek and grabbed her purse. "I can drive you home, Papa," she offered. "And if you want we can stop to get you dinner…I'm going out again tonight so I won't be home to eat with you."

"Oh? Who are you having dinner with?" he asked as they headed to the car.

"Just a friend," she told him as she climbed into the driver's side. She didn't consider the fact that he would see that she would be dressing herself up for the evening and figure out it was a date. "What would you like to eat?" she asked trying to change the subject. "Granny's?"

"Yeah, sounds good," he said. He looked a little suspicious at her excuse. "….Are you sure that it's just a friend?"

"Yes, Papa," Belle insisted.  
She parked the car in front of Granny's but left the keys in the ignition. "I can run in and grab the food, what would you like?"

"Some of that lasagna sounds good."

"Okay, I'll be right back."  
Belle climbed out of the car and ran inside. The diner wasn't too busy and Belle was able to walk right up to Granny and order. "Hey Granny, can I get a lasagna to go, please?"

Granny nodded. "Sure thing doll," she said and put in her order. Ruby smiled and headed over. "Hey there," she greeted.

"Oh, hey Ruby," Belle said with a smile. She had actually forgotten her friend was working tonight.

"What are you up to? Heading home?" Ruby asked.

"Actually…" Belle looked around to make sure no one important could hear her and she leaned in closer so she could whisper. "I have a date this evening."  
Belle was practically glowing when she admitted that. It was easy to see how excited she really was.

Ruby's eyes widened. "You-You mean… with _him_?"

Belle nodded her head eagerly. "Nothing too complicated-he's just cooking us dinner…"

"He's cooking?" she asked, shocked. "How do you know he's not gonna drug you?"

"Ruby!" She scolded. "Because I trust him. He would never do anything like that!"

Ruby sighed and shook her head, looking down. "I just… I just want you to be safe."

"I will be. I promise." Belle reached over the counter and grabbed her friend's hand. "I wouldn't go up there if I honestly thought he would try something. He's done more to prove that he would prefer me to be safe. Rumple cares for me…"

Ruby looked at her. "…And you really care for him? Really?"

Belle averted her eyes to the counter and quickly looked back up. "I do," she said with a nod. "I really do."

Ruby half smiled. "Well… Have fun…" she said with a roll of the eyes.

"Thank you," Belle said. She paid her friend for the lasagna, grabbed the bag and returned to her father who was still waiting in the car.

On the drive home, Belle and her father engaged in idle chit chat about nothing important.  
Once home, Belle eagerly ran to her room to get dressed. She wanted to hurry and be done with it, but at the same time she wanted to look nice for Rumple. So she spent some time doing her makeup and hair, pulling the curls partly back into a bun on her head, while leaving some loose.  
The dress she chose turned out to be bright red with a lace overlay. It flared at the waist and zipped in the back. Since the top part was transparent and it offered support, she chose not to wear a bra with it. As for underwear, she slipped on a simple pair of black ones wondering if they would even be seen by him that night. Did he plan on taking it that far? Was she ready for that? She had never done anything like that and she knew he hadn't either. Yes, it was too soon for that. They had only just kissed for the first time the night before.  
Since she had to hike up the mountain, she stowed her red heels in her purse to change into later.  
After checking herself for the tenth time in the mirror, she headed downstairs to put on her black coat and boots.

Meanwhile, on the mountain, Rumple was in a panic as he got everything ready. He had decided to act now and kick himself later: he decorated for Christmas. It was nothing special, of course, he had made some paper chains of red and green paper, put up candles and the red flowers that he couldn't remember the name of. He had also put up some mistletoe, not that they really needed it now. But what he was really proud of was his tree. It was scrawny, and didn't have a lot of needles, but he had decorated it with stars and red and green and gold ball ornaments. Most of them had been conjured, but he actually made a few out of paper. He had even put a star made of glass on top and it shimmered as it caught the candle and firelight.

For dinner he had prepared some duck, vegetables, and rolls and he had even made a pie for dessert. He just hoped that she would like everything. No doubt she was used to extravagant decorations and things that really looked like Christmas, but she would see that he had tried his best on his own.

He had dressed very nice tonight, his shirt was red and stitched with golden threads. He wore his golden vest this time, since he didn't really have anything green. But he hoped this would do. He had even managed to get Max to wear a red bow around his neck. Now, he would just have to wait…

xxxxxxxxxxxx  
Maurice looked up at Belle as she came downstairs. "…You're dressed awfully fancy…" he noted.

"Oh yes…I told you I was going out," Belle said trying to play it off as she slipped on her wool jacket. "It's Christmas time so I thought I'd dress for the occasion…"  
She honestly had not intended to wear a Christmas color this time and hopefully Rumple would not be upset.

"…..Belle you know you can tell me anything," he said. "If you're going on a date…"

Belle bit her lip and her gaze traveled to the floor. She was never the best at lying, but she could not tell him about Rumple-at least not yet. "I…I am going on a date," she admitted.

Maurice smiled wide, he looked very happy that his daughter had finally found someone she liked. He got up and went over to her. "That's wonderful, Belle," he said. "Who is he? You have to invite him over, introduce him."

"I…I met him at the post office…he came in one day when I was working. And then I saw him again at the library and we started talking…" That wasn't a lie. She could not invite him over though…not yet. She reached out and squeezed her Papa's hands. "And let me make sure this is truly something before I introduce you."

Maurice sighed softly. "Alright…" he said softly. He kissed her head. "Well, I hope tonight goes well. You should get going then."

"Thanks, Papa," she replied and gave him a hug. Thank heavens he was being understanding about this. "I'm not sure when I'll be home-so you don't have to wait up for me."  
She grabbed her purse then, wished him goodbye, and left.

Max was waiting for her at the bottom of the mountain with the red bow around his neck and a blanket over his back like a saddle, so she could ride him up to the top. He barked at her as she approached.

"Well hi there," Belle greeted as she walked up to Max. "What's this?" she questioned aloud as she reached out to pet him and admire the red bow.

Max barked again in greeting and he laid down so she could get on his back. He looked at her expectantly.

Belle stared at him briefly, trying to determine what he was trying to tell her. "You want me to get on your back?" she confirmed before actually doing it.

Max seemed to smile and he stood up, carrying her up the side of the mountain. His fur was very soft as she held onto it, and the ride was pretty smooth. They were up the mountain in no time, and Rumple was waiting for them at the door, smiling. His breath caught when he saw her. She looked so beautiful and perfect…

Belle clung to Max tightly, a little nervous, but still confident he wouldn't let her fall. She wondered about the pretty red bow around his neck and what would have come over Rumple to do that to his pet. It was adorable and Max seemed to enjoy it, but he almost looked dressed for the holidays, which she knew was ridiculous.  
However, when she caught sight of Rumple, her theory of them dressing up for Christmas seemed more plausible. He was wearing gold and red and he looked breathtakingly handsome in it. Still, though, she brushed it aside as a coincidence and just the color choice for the evening. Maybe he knew she was planning to wear red? No, that wasn't possible either.  
Gracefully, she climbed off of Max, rubbed his head and thanked him, before walking up to greet Rumple.  
"Hi," she said softly with the biggest smile on her face.

He smiled at her. "Hey…" he said softly and taking her hand, he kissed her gently. She was an absolute angel, and it was amusing that she was dressed in red as well.

Belle returned his kiss, but broke away quickly because it was freezing outside. "Can we go in?" She asked eager to not only warm up, but also remove her jacket so he could see her entire outfit.

He nodded and he led her inside, Max shaking himself of snow as he followed. There were paper chains all along the walls, loosely hung near the ceiling. He helped her take her coat off and his heart raced when he saw her dress, how beautiful she looked…

The moment she laid eyes on the paper chains, Belle could barely focus on removing her coat, mostly allowing Rumple to do it as she stared up at the decoration with a confused look on her face. Again…they almost looked like Christmas, but they couldn't be. She considered saying something, but then she feared she'd anger him if she assumed it was something it wasn't.  
Forcing herself to look away she smiled at Rumple and waited for him to lead the way. It was obvious he had something planned.

Rumple smiled at her but she didn't seem very impressed with the paper chains. Had he done them wrong? Or was she just not interested? Still he smiled at her and he led her to the main hall, where all the flowers were and the candles and most importantly the Christmas tree. He looked at her, waiting for a reaction.

As Belle stepped into the main room, she stopped short and her mouth fell open in shock. Yes, he had decorated for Christmas…that was clear to her now that she could see the tree. It wasn't much of a tree, but looking at everything she could tell he really did try.  
Her eyes lit up and she wanted to rub them just to make sure that she wasn't imagining this. However, she didn't for fear of ruining her makeup.  
Slowly she turned to look at Rumple. "You did all this, for me?" she asked, amazed.

He smiled softly and nodded. "I-I did," He said softly. "I hope I did ok, I didn't have a great amount of time, but I hope that it looks ok… I-I made us a Christmas dinner too, shall I bring it up?"

"Y…yes…" Belle stuttered, still in complete and utter shock. There were tears forming in her eyes at the thought the he would actually put his feelings aside just to make her happy.  
She held his hand. "But what about all those things you said…about never wanting to celebrate Christmas, even with me?"

He saw her tears and he took her hands. "I… I want to do what you told me, maybe… Maybe we can find out what Christmas is together…I like together… I like us together…"

She looked up at him with awe and tear filled eyes, but tears of joy not sorrow. Suddenly she threw her arms around his neck, pulled him close, and nuzzled her head into his hair.  
"Thank you, Rumple, I love…" She paused. She was about to say I love you. But she couldn't do that…not yet…how would he react? He would think it was too soon wouldn't he? "…everything…" She finished tactfully.  
She pulled back and looked at him with a little bit of concern. "But I don't want to force this on you…I want you to do this because you want to do it."

He hugged her close and smiled breathing in her scent. Oh gods, he loved her. He wanted to tell her. His heart leapt when she said "I love…", he had thought she would say… No, who would love him? He pulled away and looked at her. "Belle you haven't forced me to do anything," he said. "I really wanted to…"

She nodded, believing him. "Thank you," she said again. "This really means the world to me."

He smiled and he kissed her gently. He wanted to tell her that he loved her, he really did… "I'll bring that dinner up then.." he said and he disappeared down the stairs to the kitchen to retrieve the food.

As Belle waited for Rumple to return, she walked around the room admiring the decorations he put out. It was easy to tell this was his first time-some almost even looked like a child did it, but Belle didn't care at all. She was just over the moon with glee that he cared for her enough to do something she knew he despised.  
She was gently stroking one of the tree branches when he walked back in. She turned to face him. "Do you need help?"

"No, no, I've got it," he said as he set up the table. The duck had come out perfectly and so had the vegetables, but the rolls were just slightly overdone. He hoped that it would be all right.

Belle walked over to him admiring the meal as well. "Did you do all this yourself? Or did you use magic?" She was referring to both the food and the decorations.

"Well some of the decorations I had to conjure, but the rest and the cooking I did myself."

She nodded her head. "Well it's all wonderful, Rumple-and the food smells delicious." Her tummy was beginning to growl from the sight of it, but she was not going to sit until he instructed her to do so.

Once everything was set up he pulled out a chair for her to sit at. "My lady?"

Stepping over to the chair, Belle gave a small curtsy and took her seat, allowing him to adjust her. For not having much human contact, he was quite the gentleman.

He smiled and adjusted her seat before he sat as well. Max curled up by the fireplace happily and Rumple served Belle her plate before serving himself.

Belle's mouth watered as she looked at her plate. Everything looked so good even if the rolls were slightly overdone. And she wasn't used to having such expensive food. Hopefully she liked duck. "Thank you again, Rumple."

"You're welcome Belle," he said. "I hope you like it…" He sat and began to eat. He was very happy with how it turned out, it was very good…

Belle began with the vegetables and bread, feeling a little nervous about the duck. It looked good and it certainly smelled good…she would probably like it despite her reservations. She scooped up a little bit and finally braved a bite.

Rumple watched nervously as she tasted the duck. He just prayed she liked it….

The duck was…interesting…yes interesting that was the only word she could come up to describe it. She didn't hate it, nor did she really like it.  
But she didn't think it had anything to do with the way cooked it all that she couldn't be sure because she had never honestly had it before.  
But she wasn't going to tell him that. He worked so hard on the meal and the last thing she wanted to do was disappoint him.  
"It's really good Rumple," she told him.

He smiled wide. "Thank you," he said. "I'm glad you like it." He went back to eating, his nerves slowly disappearing.

Belle continued to eat her food-everything really was delicious. And she managed to eat all the duck, but she decided it was just an acquired taste.  
"Would you like me to continue reading a Christmas Carol after dinner?" she offered not sure if he had anything else planned.

"Ah I uh… I had something planned…" he said. He stood and he cleared away the table and gave the rest of the duck to Max. "If you would follow me…"

Max greedily dove into the leftovers his master gave him, not letting one bite go to waste. Belle eyed Rumple suspiciously. What was he up to?

"It'll be fun, I promise," he said. "I'm not going to eat you, despite what stories say."

Belle giggled. "I think I would know by now if you were going to eat me…" she teased as she stood from the table and walked over to him. "Unless that lovely meal was all just an appetizer for you and something to plump me up so you could feast later…"

He chuckled and he took her hand as he walked her to another room. It was the library but it had been decorated as well, cleared of furniture to make a dance floor. In a far corner were instruments that were playing by themselves with the help of magic. He smiled and turned to her, and he held out his hand. "…May I have this dance?" he asked nervously.

Belle's eyes lit up yet again as they entered the library. He had done so much to make this night special for her-for them. This was turning out to be the greatest date and she knew she would hate it when the night was over. But for now she was going to enjoy the present.  
Turning her eyes toward him, she curtsied, this time pulling out the side of her dress as she took a hold of his hand so that he could lead her out onto the dance floor.

He smiled at her and he led her to the middle of the floor holding her hand tightly. He was a little nervous about this too but he hoped that she would forgive him for stepping on her toes maybe once or twice. He placed a hand on her waist and looked at her.

Belle was not terribly familiar with the waltz, but she had seen it performed at least once or twice-enough to know to place her left hand on his shoulder and the other in his hand.  
She smiled brightly up at Rumple and waited for him to lead her.

Rumple took a deep breath and he began to dance with her. He was surprisingly good; he was surprised with himself. He smiled at her as they danced together.

Despite the fact that Belle was struggling to keep up, she could not take her eyes off Rumple's. She was so lost in him; she had never felt this way about anyone before. All she wanted was to be with him, to be close to him. And right now she was.  
"Where did you learn to dance?" She asked as he swung her around the dance floor.

"I have no idea how to dance," he chuckled honestly. "I copied some movements from pictures in a book." He twirled her and smiled. "You really think I'm good?"

Belle twirled out from him gracefully and landed back in his arms without any hiccups, the place she longed to be more than anything right now.  
"Yes, I think you are doing a great job. I never would have known you'd never danced before if you didn't tell me."

He smiled at her and gazed at her. He looked up and he had forgotten about the mistletoe he had hung up. "Oh… Forgot about that…"

Having been too focused on Rumple, Belle hadn't even realized they had stopped and were just holding one another while the music played. Belle's eyes wandered up to the mistletoe and then back to Rumple. She chuckled knowingly, clearly not believing he had truly forgotten. "If you wanted to kiss me, all you had to do was ask…"

He smiled and held her close. "…May I?" he asked in a whisper, inching closer to her.

Belle's head slowly nodded and she closed her eyes waiting for their lips to meet as she said, "You may."

He smiled softly and he gently kissed her, holding her close. He really truly loved her… Tonight he was going to tell her. Even if she rejected him, she needed to know how he felt.

Belle practically melted into him when he kissed her, having never wanted anything more. It felt like heaven to be kissing him again and she was already beginning to feel lightheaded from all the sensations he elicited in her.

He held her close as they kissed and they slowly stopped dancing. He just enjoyed being in her arms, being this close to her. He still wanted to be closer. He slowly deepened his kiss and hoped she would too.

Belle was not opposed at all to deepen the kiss and she gladly parted her lips so that he could do as he pleased.

He wrapped his arms around her waist. Then one of his hands moved up to her hair and twisted into her locks. He moaned softly at their kiss.

Oh gods, Belle was enjoying this so much, especially when he began to play with her hair. It told her that he was very in to it as well. Her other hand that had been with his while they were dancing came up to gently stroke his cheek as she continued to kiss him, letting her tongue dip into his mouth every once in a while too.

He had to pull away for air after a little while but he didn't let her go. He didn't know why but when he opened his eyes he saw her neck, and he couldn't stop himself from dipping down and letting his lips find her sweet soft skin.

Belle groaned in approval at his choice, tilting her head to the side so that it would make it easier on him. "Rumple…" she breathed breathlessly as she tried to keep it together. Every kiss to her neck was sending sparks straight down to her lower belly, causing her breath to get heavier and heavier.

He moaned softly and his other hand slipped down to her hip. Every kiss sent sparks through his skin and gods, his pants were getting uncomfortable again. "Belle," he breathed heavily. He loved her. He wanted her…

"Mmmmm," Belle moaned in response, assuming he wanted some attention too. It was only fair and it wasn't like she didn't want to give it. Both of her hands came up and ran through his hair simultaneously and she began to kiss him again, this time starting on the cheek and working her way down his jaw line and towards his neck, all the while keeping her hands in his hair.  
His skin was nowhere near as rough as it looked, but it was not smooth either. She was certainly enjoying exploring it though and tasting it…

He gasped in pleasure, fire lighting beneath his skin. "Belle…" he moaned and both hands went to her hips, holding her close to him. Gods she was going to drive him insane, his heart was racing.

Something about the combination of hearing her name and having his hands at her hips made her lower belly-no it was more between her legs-ache even more to the point it felt like it was pounding. Her first instinct was to grind her hips up against him, but she refrained. She didn't know if that was even okay for her to do or if Rumple would like it.

He suddenly found himself gently pushing her against a bookshelf behind her and he kissed her hard and deep. He trailed his kisses down her neck again and reached the neckline of her dress. He… He wanted to see more of her, more of her skin, her beautiful creamy soft skin…

There was no objection to being moved against the bookcase and Belle just let him guide her wherever he liked. This way it felt like they could get closer than before. It was taking all her effort not to press her hips against him though and her body was beginning to get a little restless from being overcome with so many new sensations.  
As he continued to shower her with kisses she could barely concentrate and her hands were digging into his back.

He kissed along her neckline and he sighed a bit. He wanted to take her dress off her, but he was shaking, his hands were shaking he was so overwhelmed with all of these emotions.

When Belle began to feel him shaking, she pulled away from him ever so slightly and looked at him, concerned. "Is everything alright Rumple?" she asked. Maybe this was too much for him…maybe he didn't even want to do it or they were going to fast… Perhaps going from having no one for your entire life to suddenly having someone was too much for him. She hoped not.

He swallowed and looked at her eyes. "I… I don't know what to do… I've-I've never…. never done something like this before I don't… I don't know what I want… But I just… I want you. I want you close, I want so close…. But I don't know what the hell to do."

"Oh…" Belle understood now-well mostly. She wasn't exactly sure if he meant he wanted to take this as far as it would go-to have intercourse with her. Should they even do that so soon if he did? She was feeling a bit nervous about that as well, fighting her emotions, trying to decide if she was ready.

But maybe that wasn't it. Did he even know what sex was? Surely he knew of it…he had read books before. And surely he had seen wildlife. She didn't know much about the act, probably a little more than what he did, but her books had at least enlightened her on the fact that it existed.

"I told you this is my first time as well…I don't know much…but this is a good start, we can keep doing this…this is nice." She leaned forward to kiss him again.

He kissed her back and held her close but he felt like it wasn't enough. "But-But I want more than this," he said. "I don't know what more is but I want it. I mean… I've read the books but…. They're not you, the books aren't real, you're real, and I have no idea what to do with something real. But I know I want real and I… I want you."

Belle smiled and sighed happily. "I want you, too," she admitted. If her face wasn't already flushed from all the kissing, she knew it was bright red now. "But I'm not sure how…and I don't want to just jump right into it." Gods now she was sure there was a blush on top of her blush. "We can continue doing this-build up to that-learn and explore together…take our time."

"But… But I don't want to wait, to build this up," he objected. "I want it now, my body feels like its on fire, every fiber is just screaming that I need to have you…" He held her hands, wishing he had some kind of control over this but he didn't….

"Rumple…I…" She nervously tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. He was coming on too strong now, and while she understood he was new at all this, she also knew he needed to understand to respect her wishes.  
"There's no need to rush this…it will be more special if we take our time." She gave him a smile of encouragement.

He sighed and had to take a few steps back, running his fingers through his hair. He felt so hot, so… He felt angry, but why? "So-So I do all of this for you, I start embracing the holiday that I hate the most, I-I cook and I decorate, I risk being seen in town, I save you from that bastard twice now, and-and this is what I get?! You know what, I bet you don't even have any sort of feelings for me whatsoever, this was all some act just to get me to that damn party! And I bet you were going to humiliate me in front of everyone, weren't you?! I knew it! I knew I was right, Christmas just makes everyone liars and fake!" With every word his voice grew louder and louder.

Belle squinted her eyes as she looked at him unbelievingly. "What? Rumplestiltskin none of those things are true! I would never do such a thing! And I do care about you otherwise I wouldn't be here!"  
She was angry now as well and any sense of arousal had faded away.  
"But it's nice to know that you only did this-that you only saved me from Gaston so that you could lure me into your bed instead!" And he almost had…if they hadn't stopped to talk she may have let things go further. She had wanted them to go further. Luckily she hadn't.

"Well you were planning this from the beginning so obviously you wanted it to happen!" he snapped. "And let me guess, you were going to tell the whole town that I'm just a big softy and have everyone laugh in my face! You don't care about me you never did, you're just like her!" He paused at the last part. No, he wasn't going to tell her that. "You're just like everyone in this god damn town, all fake and lies! That's what Christmas does to people!" With the flick of his hand, he conjured a fireball to his palm and he threw it in her direction, but it went up to the mistletoe, burning it to a crisp and the ashes rained upon them. He did the same to the paper chains and the flowers.

Her? Belle caught his little slip up even though he probably thought she didn't. Was there another woman? But she thought he said she was the only one… She grew even angrier to realize he had probably been lying to her this entire time-not just about that but probably about everything.  
She was ready to come back at him, to yell at him for being so stupid and acting like a jerk when he began shooting fire with magic.  
She gasped and ducked from the one that hit the mistletoe. Once she was sure she was in the clear and while he continued throwing a tantrum and burning all the other things, she hopped to her feet and ran toward the door without ever looking back.  
In that moment she feared he would truly hurt her and she had to get away from that place as fast as possible.  
Max was lying down in the front room when he heard Belle running toward him and he instantly jumped to his feet sensing something was wrong.  
Belle just ran right past him, afraid to stop, fearing Rumple would catch her. "I can't stay here another minute!" she yelled at him as she went by.  
She was too afraid to even gather her things or change back into her boots, so she ran outside in the snow climbing down the mountain as fast and best she could in her heels. She didn't make it very far though-as she tripped over a rock and twisted her ankle.  
She screamed out in agony as she hit the ground, but it wasn't from the pain of the fall, but of a broken heart.

Rumple was in such a rage that he didn't even see her run out until he had nothing left to burn and he turned to see she wasn't there. He let out a howl of frustration and anger and heart break. What he hell had he done?! Max saw her run out without her coat or shoes, and after a few moments he heard her scream. Picking up her boots and coat with his teeth he sprinted down the mountain to her and nuzzled her to get her attention.

Belle had curled up into a ball and had buried her head in her knees as she cried harder than she had ever had in her life. Everything hurt, especially her chest. It literally felt like he had just ripped her heart out. She didn't know this type of heartbreak was even possible. And then she was angry with herself for being so stupid. She had been so sure that all this time she was seeing the real Rumpelstiltskin, but it was clear she was wrong.  
When she felt something nuzzle her, She jumped and backed away as fast as she could until she realized it was just Max. She relaxed and was able to breathe again, thankful it wasn't Rumplestiltskin.  
She couldn't smile at Max even though she was really happy to see him. She could barely stop her tears to talk to him. "Thank you," she managed, taking her things from him. She looked at the boots and then her foot. "But I'm afraid I can't walk-I fell and twisted my ankle."

Max looked at her and sniffed her ankle. Then he crouched so he could carry her once more. He would carry her to town if she really wanted; it was late enough so no one was wandering the streets.

After Belle slipped her jacket on, she reached out to pet Max. "This is very kind of you-thank you…"  
She scratched him a couple of times behind the ear, before she moved to climb on his back. She did her best not to put any pressure on her foot because it was painful, but certainly not as painful as the hurt Rumplestiltskin had just inflicted on her.

Max licked her arm and gave her an apologetic look, as if he was saying sorry for what his master had done. He had heard the yelling and the burning… He got up and he started carrying her down the mountain.

Belle held on to Max's fur as tightly as she could to make sure she wouldn't fall off. As he carried her, she couldn't help but continue to cry about everything that has just happened.

Every once in a while Max's tail would flick up and brush her back to comfort her. Sometimes he wished his master would give him a voice, so he could do more than just look sympathetic or bark. When they reached the bottom of the mountain he looked at her, asking which way to go.

"Um…" Belle wiped away some of her tears with the sleeve of her coat so she could see. "That way." She pointed through the woods. "If we come in around the back, no one will see."

Max turned and went into the woods, sniffing out the house that smelled like her. He truly wished he could talk so he could say something to her. He brushed her back with his tail again.

Even though Max couldn't talk, Belle could feel he was really trying to comfort her. She brushed his fur with her fingers to show she understood.  
"Tell me Max…" she said as if he could talk. "Was it all a lie? Everything? Did he truly never care for me?"

Max whined and managed to shake his head no. No, Rumple truly cared for his mate, he might even love her, but he was very stupid. He wished he could tell her in more detail but this would have to do. No, it wasn't a lie.

Belle thought perhaps Max was trying to tell her that everything Rumple did wasn't false, but it was hard to know for sure. Who knew if she would even see Rumple again? There was no way she would dare venture back up that mountain.  
"Here," Belle told Max as they approached the back of her house. "This is my home."

Max gave a light "woof" and he stopped at the door, crouching so she could get off.

Climbing off Max, Belle hung onto his side to try and keep the weight off her foot and she hobbled around to look at Max in the face. She smiled sadly at him through her tears. "Well I guess this is goodbye my friend." She leaned and gave him a hug nuzzling her forehead against his.

Max licked her cheek and seemed to smile. He wished he could tell her it was going to be all right.

"I hope perhaps we will meet again." She hated things had to be this way. She hated that she loved a man who didn't truly love her back-that had tried to hurt her.  
She stood and waved to Max once more before going inside.

Max watched her go and whimpered. Maurice heard the door open and close and he went to see her, expecting her happy from her date, but instead she looked injured and heartbroken and flushed. "Belle? What happened to you?" he asked as he helped her to the couch.

"Oh…I tripped…I twisted my ankle," she said, hoping her father would focus mostly on that.  
She leaned on her father heavily as he helped her sit.

"Oh that's terrible, but why didn't your date help you?" he asked as he sat her down and sat with her.

"It…was um…" Belle hissed as a pain shot through her leg. "It happened after I had left-just outside in the snow."

"Ah… Well, let me go get a heating pack and then you can go tell me about your date, ok?" he said, getting up and heading to the kitchen.

Tell him about her date? That was the last thing she wanted to do. "Actually…I'm really tired. If you don't mind I'd like to take the heating pad to the bedroom and lay down. We can talk later." Or not a lot all.

"Oh… Well alright," he said as he brought the heating pack. "But… It did go well, yeah? You're going to introduce him to me soon?"

Belle forced herself to smile. "We'll see Papa. I still haven't decided."  
Honestly, they would never meet, but she had barely had time to let it sink in that her and Rumple were finished. She was not ready for tons of questions.

Maurice nodded. "Well, I hope you had a good night," he said. He helped her stand and walk to her room. "You're sure you'll be alright?"

"Yes, I just need to rest."  
Once she was in her room, she took the heat pack, thanked her father, and wished him goodnight.  
She didn't have a good night though. Her foot hurt, but she could care less about that. All she could think about was Rumple and what he had done. Why did things have to turn out this way? She was so sure he was the man no one believed him to be-that he was kind and caring. That was all she had ever seen despite all the masks he put up. But that was not what she had seen that night.  
His temper and his lies-and all the accusations he made of her, how could he truly believe she was out to trick him?  
The only thing she knew for sure was her heart was shattered and it was unlikely it would ever heal completely.  
When she did finally fall asleep, her pillow was soaked from her tears and her dreams were filled with dreams of Rumple and a life that could have been.


	10. Chapter 10

The moment Belle was gone Rumple instantly regretted what he did. Yet, he couldn't work up the courage to go after her, especially since he knew she wouldn't want to see him-not after what he did. He was more wretched than he had ever thought he was and tonight he had proved it.

Two days later he was still wallowing in his self pity unable to do or think about anything but Belle. He so desperately wanted to go see her to apologize, but he was sure she would send him away. Plus how was he going to prove to her he was truly sorry? There was only one way…and he needed to try.

After finally sucking up his pride and his shame and he went to town to search for Belle. He had been such an idiot, a horrible, terrible person, and he doubted that Belle would ever take him back, ever forgive him. He wandered the streets with his mask on and a rose hidden in his cloak.

The party was growing closer and Belle had to force herself not to think of it-in fact she had decided not to go.  
She had set out to find out what Christmas was truly about-to prove it was more than just giving gifts and eating food, but all she had discovered was heartbreak.  
It had been a few days since the incident with Rumple, but everything still seemed fresh in her mind. All she could do was cry, but she knew life would have to go on. To help cheer herself up that day, she decided to venture to the library-the only place that wouldn't let her down, the only place she could find true happiness.  
On her walk there she passed by the large Christmas tree that rested in the center of town. She stopped to gaze up at it, wondering why such a holiday held such heartbreak. Her mother had died near Christmas and now she had lost her first love too. And it didn't help that his home was visible in the distance. Fighting back tears, she ripped her gaze away unable to look at it and hurried off to the library.

When Rumple saw her in the library, for a few minutes he struggled with himself to either run and forget about her or go in and actually do something about causing the woman he loved pain. He finally forced himself to do the latter and he went in through the door, slowly approaching her. He stood before her, his heart trying to explode from his chest. "….Belle?" he whispered.

Belle was glancing at a row of books on a shelf when she heard someone approach her. She didn't acknowledge them, not until heard her name and instantly recognized the voice: Rumple. Her head slowly turned to confirm it and sure enough, there he was, it that ridiculous mask too no less.  
The soft features on her face hardened and she glared at him, before turning her attention back to the books.  
"What do you want? Come to finish what you started? Or are you going to kidnap me and take me to your mountain and eat me?" she snapped.

"I didn't come here to fight," he said softly and he placed the rose on the shelf in front of her. "I just want to say I'm sorry. And I don't expect to be forgiven at all, I truly don't. And after this, I don't expect to ever see you again. You can hate me for the rest of your life or not, I'll hate myself enough for the whole town…. But I never wanted to hurt you. Belle you are the only person who was able to look past my mask, and not just the physical one. And I treated you like you are nothing when you are everything to me. And I know that I can never make up for it. But I just need you to know that I'm sorry, for all that I said, all that I did. This is, it's so…new to me, and I over reacted when I should have respected what you wanted…. I… I decided I'm going to the party, and if you don't want to see me there, very well, but I'm going… It's the least I could do…" He wanted to hold her, to kiss her, but he knew that she would shove him away. So he stepped back and turned to leave, but he hesitated, wanting to know if she would stop him or not.

The entire time he spoke to her, Belle kept her eyes on the books, looking through them and pretending she was passively listening, when she was intently listening to every word.  
When he placed the rose down on the shelf, her gaze went to it briefly and then back at the books.  
As she listened she craved to just break down and jump in his arms and pretend like nothing ever happened. But she just couldn't do that; it wasn't that easy.  
However, when she heard him agree to attend the party, she nearly dropped her book in shock, but somehow remained composed.  
As he walked away, her hand slowly came up to touch the rose and she looked at it longingly, but didn't pick it up.  
"Why?" she said finally. "Why are you going to the party?"

He stopped and thought about it. "…Despite everything I hate about Christmas, this year, it's been good memories instead of the usual bad ones, the ones that made me hate it…. From now on, I'll always remember those good memories, memories of…. Well, the ice skating, the cookies, the snowman… You. And anything Christmas will remind me of that now. So I'll go, to remind myself that… Even I can be happy on Christmas if I keep remembering those good memories, and maybe even make a few more." And of course he had ruined the only good thing that had ever happened to him.

Belle stood there silently a little longer, thinking of his answer. Was he trying to force her to take him back? Was this a trick?  
"And if I said I wasn't going…" She had decided not to go after all. "…Do you still plan to go?"

He nodded. "As I said, I don't expect to see you again, even at the party. If all I ever see of you again is my memories, so be it. At least you won't have to worry about me again…"

Belle frowned and cast her gaze to the floor. That wasn't what she wanted. It was the last thing she wanted.  
"I…um…I can't let you go to the party alone…" she said softly.

He turned and looked at her. "You… You mean that?" he asked with disbelief.

"I do…it was my idea for you to go and I can't let you go by yourself." She shrugged her shoulders. "You and I both know what people think of you-and who knows how they will react when you walk through that door. I don't want you to have to face that alone-I want to be there to make sure they know you don't mean them any harm…"

He tried a smile, and he nodded. "I would appreciate that…" he said. "I would like that very much."

Belle nodded too, and tucked a curl behind her ear. She was unsure of what to say now-unsure of what to do. She feared truly getting her hopes up but she couldn't help let it happen a little.

He sighed softly. "…I really am sorry, truly sorry." he said softly. "I didn't mean to go that far."

Belle opened up her mouth to reply, but before she could she heard footsteps. Someone was coming. "I uh…think we should talk…but this isn't the best place."

"Well, I'll see you at the party?" he asked. "Or do you want me to stay?"

"No…I meant talk privately…about what happened…" She sighed and looked away, crossing her arms in front of her. She felt stupid now. Of course he didn't want to talk. He probably wanted to keep his distance from her and remain friends, if that. "…but if you don't want to…"

He shook his head and he tried to take her hands without thinking. "No, I do want to talk, I do," he said. "Sorry, I just misunderstood."

Belle's breath hitched when he grabbed her hands, but she didn't pull away, not until she was ready to walk away. "Just let me get my things," she said and walked over to the table for her jacket and purse. As she passed the bookcase she noticed the rose that was still lying there. She couldn't leave it there could she? Picking it up, she looked at Rumple. "Okay, let's go…"

He waited for her and twiddled his thumbs. He was still nervous about all of this, but he felt a lot better than before.

She looked up at him hesitantly. "Do you want to walk out the front door…or…magic…? Where do you want to go?"

"….Is your house clear?" he asked.

Belle had to take a moment to think about it. What time did Ruby go to work? Was it 2 or 4 o'clock? She was pretty sure it was 2. Belle smiled and nodded. "Yes, Papa is at the post office and my roommate should have already left for work."

He nodded and he took her hand and they disappeared to her house.

What Belle did not know though, was that Ruby was still home. After being out late the night before Ruby accidentally overslept well into the afternoon and she was very late for her shift.  
When Rumple and Belle appeared in the living room, Ruby was there rushing to throw her shoes on so she could get to the diner as fast as she could so her grandmother wouldn't slaughter her.  
But the second the couple appeared out of nowhere, she glanced up and only laid eyes on Rumple with his green gold skin and reptilian eyes. Instantly she screamed, and frantically grabbing a nearby lamp, she instinctively hurled it toward the pair as a defense, not even noticing Belle.

Rumple jumped at the girl's scream and his magic went on the defense making the lamp hover in the air, stopping it from hitting him and Belle. "I-I thought you said she wouldn't be home," he said to Belle. His eyes were wide and his breathing was rapid. Someone was looking at him, someone other than Belle. It was a cruel reminder of what people really thought of him and he quickly backed away until his back hit a wall.

Belle wanted to comfort Rumple, but she had to get Ruby to calms down first so she wouldn't try to hurt either one of them again.  
"Ruby," she said calmly holding her hands out in defense. "Calm down. It's just me, Belle."  
Ruby had backed away and now held the fire poker from the fireplace in her hand, scared of the stranger that had just appeared in her home. When she heard Belle's voice though, her gaze slowly broke away from staring at Rumple, to looking at her friend in complete shock. "B…Belle…how the hell did you do that? Who the hell is that?!"  
Belle continued making calming motions with her hand. "Ruby, this is Rumple-and he has magic which can take us where ever we want to go in a blink of an eye."  
She turned around and seeing how terrified Rumple was she went over to him and gently placed her hands on his arms. "Rumple, hey, look at me," she coaxed, trying to smile at him to make him feel better. "This is Ruby, my friend, and she won't hurt you. We just frightened her is all."

He looked between them before his eyes finally settled on the woman he loved. Her touch and gaze did relax him a bit and he managed to take her hands. "….Ok…"

Belle squeezed his hand and smiled up at him. One of her hands came up to meet his cheek and she softly rubbed it. "Hey, it's okay…" She could tell he was really upset…was he frightened? Why would he be frightened of another person? Just because he wasn't wearing a mask? He hadn't acted frightened when he first met her…

He took a deep breath and nodded, leaning into her touch. "I'm ok," he said to reassure her and he stood up a little straighter. He looked over at Ruby and noticed the lamp was still in mid-air. He slowly went over and took it down, putting it back where it belonged. He turned to Ruby. "I'm sorry we scared you."

Ruby stared at Rumplestiltskin, watching him carefully as he walked around the room. She still held the fire poker at the ready, but she had relaxed ever so slightly. Finally she spoke. "Y…you're the Dark One?"

He nodded and took an extravagant bow. "Rumplestiltskin, at your service."

Ruby looked at him skeptically and remained where she was.  
Belle walked over to stand beside Rumple and talk to her friend. "Ruby, he won't hurt you either…I told you…he's not who people say he is."

"I promise I'm not," he said. "Really, I don't know where the people get these stories that I eat people and steal children."

Slowly Ruby lowered the fire poker. "And you're the one who's been occupying our Belle's time?"

"Yes, I am," he said. "I hope that doesn't mean you'll want to kill me now…"

Belle had not told Ruby anything about the fight between her and Rumple, nor had she told her father. She hadn't been ready to talk about it and she didn't want lectures or to hear them say I told you so.  
"Why? Should I want to kill you?" Ruby asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well I know that friends can be protective over other friends," he explained. He was surprised that Belle hadn't told her what had happened…

Ruby continued watching him, scrutinizing him and trying to decide what she thought.  
"Belle's a smart woman. I trust her judgment," she said matter of factly.

He nodded and took a step back. "Well ah… Belle and I were just going to talk…"

Ruby eyed the two suspiciously and Belle wondered if her friend was thinking they had come there to do something more than talk.  
"I thought you were supposed to be at work right now?" Belle chimed in.

Ruby cleared her throat and nodded. "Uh, right," she said and she threw on her shoes before going to Belle and hugged her. "Tell me everything," she whispered before she grabbed her stuff and hurried out the door. Rumple took a deep breath, glad she was gone.

Belle looked at Rumple, worried. "Are you OK?" She asked him. It appeared that he had a really bad reaction when he saw a Ruby, and she just wanted to be sure that he was fine. In spite of everything that went on between them, she still loved him and cared for his well-being.

Rumple nodded and he took her hand. "I'm fine," he said. "Just… I guess I'll have to get used to people looking at me again, huh?"

"It won't be so bad," she assured him. "Especially once they realize you aren't who they think you are."

He sighed and nodded. "It's just… Those first few minutes of the fear in their eyes that makes it the hardest…" he said softly and he looked at her. "…Anyways, we were going to talk?"

Belle took another moment to look at him to show she did care and to make sure he was telling the truth. She felt like most people would do what he feared, but as long as he was prepared for it…  
"Um…yes," she said and led him over to the couch. She took a seat on one end and waited for him to do the same.

He sat on the couch with her and took a breath, trying to figure out what he was going to say. "I… I got carried away last time," he said. "And I am sorry…."

"So you didn't mean anything you said? You don't believe I would truly do all those horrible things to you?" she asked.

He shook his head and held her hand. "No, Belle," he told her. "No, I didn't mean any of it. I know you wouldn't do that to me."

Belle felt a few tears lingering in the corners of her eyes. She was clearly hurt that he would even accuse her of such things. "Why would you even say that then? Have I done anything to give those impressions? Or was this all because I wanted us to take our time?"

He shook his head and cupped her face. "No, sweetheart, it was noting that you did. I just… My body was so desperate and craving you, and then my anger just kicked in and I wasn't thinking. It was just… Everything was overwhelming me and I just….reacted badly."

Her eyes watered just a tad more as she looked up at him. She didn't move away when he touched her cheek, nor did she lean into his touch either. She braced herself to ask him the biggest thing on her mind. She never truly thought he would have forced her-she had seen he was just angry-but she knew he had been lying to her.  
"And who is the… her you referred to…you told me I was the only one…"

He stopped and swallowed thickly. "…I… I don't want to talk about it," he said. "It was a mistake a long time ago, let's leave it at that. But I assure you that you are the first woman I have had real feelings for, the only one that I've ever kissed."

"How can I believe that if you don't tell me what happened?" She shifted on the couch so that she faced him a little better and her hands came to rest on his. "Rumple, you know you can tell me anything. I care about you and I want to be close to you. But I can't do that if you shut me out. I want to know everything about you, the good and the bad. I won't care for you any less because of it, but this will never work if you continue to lie to me. I just want to understand why you acted the way you did when I never denied you-I only asked to take our time."  
She was certain that if he hadn't turned on her that she would have ended up in his bed that night and she would have woke the next morning happy and curled up in her love arms, not heartbroken and with a swollen ankle.

Rumple sighed and he looked away, slowly shaking his head. "Belle I… I don't like thinking about it," he said quietly.

"I understand," Belle started, but then she paused to correct herself. "Actually I don't understand. But it's obvious this affects you…and it affected you enough to lash out at me. Rumple…if you want to be together, you have to help me understand, so together we can make sure this doesn't happen again."

He swallowed thickly and glanced at her. "I just…. I trusted her, I trusted that she would encourage everyone not to be afraid of me, but in the end she only humiliated me. So instead of everyone screaming or just being wary, they laughed at me…"

In a way that sounded familiar-Belle had went to him to convince him to come to the party, to basically start interacting with other people again.  
"So, she was like me? In a way I mean-I would never think of humiliating you. But she tried to convince you to meet others and make friends?"

He nodded. "Yes," he said. "And it just didn't work out. So can we please just not talk about it?"

Belle took a deep breath and nodded before she squeezed his hand. She knew there was more to the story, but she wasn't going to push it. Step by step, that was what it would take to get him to open up. This clearly was not easy for him at all. "No we don't have to anymore, but I want you to remember that you can tell me anything. You don't have to lie to me. If you had just told me from the beginning perhaps this wouldn't have gotten so out of hand. I love you, Rumplestiltskin and I want you to feel like you can tell me anything without fearing I would fear you or laugh at you."  
She said the words without even realizing it. They flowed out of her mouth so easily and she felt so strongly for him that it made it so easy to say.

His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. She… Did he just hear her right? His heart was racing and his breath was short. "Belle… You… Did you… You love me?"

Seeing his reaction at first confused Belle because she hadn't realized what she said. But when he asked her to confirm it, her face went pure red as the slip up stuck out in her mind. She had said it and she hadn't meant to. However, that didn't make it untrue and she wasn't going to lie.  
She did begin to stutter a little as her face continued to redden. Averting her eyes, she licked her lips and tucked a curl behind her ear. Slowly her eyes came back up to meet his. "I do," she finally confirmed. "I love you Rumplestiltskin, with all my heart."  
Hopefully he returned her feelings. If not she knew she was in for more heartbreak, but there was no way she was going to pretend like it wasn't true.

He felt like his heart was going to explode from happiness and he smiled wide, tears filling his eyes. His hands cupped her face and he gazed at her. "Belle… I… I love you too," he whispered. He never thought he would get to say it, to tell her. "I've loved you since I caught you an my arms that day you fell…"

"You have?" Belle said softly with a shaky voice. A few tears of happiness escaped her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She sniffled once to try and fight them back but it was really no use.  
Flinging her arms around his neck, her lips crashed against his in a very forceful kiss.  
But she loved him and he loved her and all she wanted to do was pour those emotions into the kiss to show him.

His tears slipped down his face and he kissed her back, his arms wrapping around her. She loved him. By gods she loved him, and he loved her. He poured his love into the kiss and he held her close.

They were both crying and the tears were making the kiss wet and sloppy. But Belle did not care. All she wanted to do was kiss and be held by him.  
When they finally broke away from each other, they were out of breath and Belle was still crying and it only grew worse as she spoke to him. "I love you, Rumplesriltskin," she said leaning her forehead against his. "But please don't ever do anything like that again…that heartbreak-the thought that we would never be together-it was too much…"

"I love you Belle," he said. "And I swear to you, I am never going to hurt you again, I never want to lose you; I felt like I was dying without you."

Belle brought her lips to Rumple's again just then. She was overwhelmed with so many emotions all at once-relief, happiness, love.  
And all she wanted was to forget everything else and just spend the rest of the day in Rumple's arms.

He kissed her back and held her close. He was just so god damn happy that she loved him and she was still with him. "I love you," he whispered against her lips. "I've never been in love before, but I never want to be out of it."

"Me either," Belle told him. She moved her head to his shoulder where she could hold him closer.

"…I never thought that I would find someone who loved me… I thought I would live my life alone on that mountain…"

"Well you have me now," Belle assured him. She pulled back to look at him. "And who knows-perhaps you'll make a friend or two at the Christmas party."

He chuckled and shook his head. "I don't know about that," he said.

Belle giggled. "You are very lovable once one gets to know you-perhaps I'll even have to fight off other women," she teased.

Rumple laughed and held her close. "I don't think that will happen any time soon," he said. "And don't worry. You're the only woman that I want."

Belle smiled brightly and sighed. "And you're the only man I want," she told him. Although, was he really even a man? He looked like a man in every way except for his skin and eyes. And he had magic and he wasn't born like other humans. Either way she didn't care.

Rumple smiled at her and kissed her head. "Well I'm glad," he said.

"So…do you have plans for the rest of the day?" she asked shyly.

He shook his head. "Honestly all I had planned out was the apology…."

"Well I don't have to work…would you like to stay here with me-or we could go back to your mountain."

He half smiled. "You know, I had made… I had made desert that night and my magic kept it fresh…"

Desert sounded delicious. "Alright…we could do that and then I could always finish a Christmas Carol if you'd like…"

He smiled softly and nodded. "Sounds like a good idea," he said. He slowly stood up and held her hand. "Shall we?"

"Yes, we shall," she replied, assuming he was going to transport her by magic.

He smiled and kissed her gently and they were transported to the cave, and he opened the door. Max bounded towards them, barking happily.

"Hi Max!" Belle exclaimed as she reached out to rub the wolf's head with both hands. "I'm sure you're surprised to see me again."

Max nuzzled her and licked her over and over. He had missed his Master's mate. Rumple smiled and he closed the door behind him.

Belle laughed as Max licked her and tried to push him away. "Okay okay! That's enough!" she said through chuckles. "It tickles."

Max bounded around the room. Rumple smiled and held Belle around the waist. "You were very much missed by both of us. "

"It's only been a few days…" Belle commented, but in all honesty she missed them too. She thought she was never going to see them again.

"I know," he said softly. "But we both love you, and after what happened, we missed you. Now dessert? I have pie…"

"Oh yes…" In truth Belle didn't want to talk about what happened anymore. She had forgiven him and now it was time to move on. As she followed him into the main hall she wondered if he had restored any of the Christmas decorations or if it was back to its original state. He was practically burning the place down when she left.

A few candles were still up, and there were a few more flowers that he hadn't taken down. He helped her sit down before he got the pie from the kitchen.

A few things left…they must have just been the items that weren't destroyed in his rage. Why he didn't bother taking them down? She didn't know. Her eyes lingered over near the fireplace where the tree had been.

He brought the pie out and he served her a slice. "There you go," he smiled softly and he served himself a slice as well.

Belle broke her gaze away from the nonexistent tree and smiled at Rumple. She wasn't going to bring anything up, but she wondered if he planned on redecorating.  
"Thank you," she said and picked up her fork.

He nodded and began to eat. Thank gods for magic, which kept the food fresh, he didn't want to prepare it all over again. And it was so delicious..

"Mmmm," Belle said after she took her first bite. Her eyes went wide in amazement. "It tastes like it just came out of the oven!"

He smiled. "That's the good thing about magic. I'm glad you like it."

"Yes…" She paused and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "But you did make it yourself didn't you?"

"I did, and the magic kept it fresh," he explained. "I didn't make it with magic, I promise."

"I suppose I wouldn't care if you did," she told him as she went back to finish her pie. "But it does make it more special when you do it yourself."

He smiled softly and nodded. He finished his pie. "So you still want to finish the book?"

"As long as you do…"  
After everything, he might have said he was ready to embrace Christmas, but she was still weary about the subject with him after what had happened.

"Absolutely," he said. He cleared away their plates and then they headed to the library, the book right where they had left it.

The decorations were gone in the library too, but again Belle said nothing. Christmas wasn't really about the decorations, she knew that, but it still saddened her to see all his hard work gone. He had tried so hard and Belle had cherished everything about it. Walking over to the floor Belle took a seat in front of the warm fire. She looked at Rumple and patted the space next to her.

He smiled and sat next to her, leaning on her shoulder. He looked around the room. "…Maybe next Christmas I can leave the decorations up…" he said softly.

Did he know what she was thinking…or had he been thinking the same thing too?  
She reached over and squeezed his leg. "I have a better idea-next time we can decorate together…"

He smiled at her. "Really?" he asked. "…I would like that. Maybe it would actually look like Christmas."

"What do you mean? I loved your decorations…"  
True they were not that traditional, but he had made them just for her and tried so hard.

"Yes but they weren't very good decorations, and don't try to tell me otherwise. Next year maybe we'll get a giant tree and cover it with good decorations."

Belle sighed and leaned a little closer to him. "I don't care if they're perfect or if they look like store bought decorations. Who defines what's good and what's bad? Those decorations were made from your heart-they were just for me-I think that triumphs any other decoration you could have bought."

He gazed at her and smiled softly. "They were for you, and I ruined it… Sorry, I don't mean to keep bringing it up…"

"No…Rumple…" She reached and cupped his face to pull it toward her so that she could put her forehead against his.  
"I've forgiven you for it…but I'm not going to let you tell me it wasn't good-it was GREAT. And I know you um…destroyed them…but recreating them together will make it even better."

He nodded and leaned into her touch. Her words soothed him and he nodded. "Alright," he said softly. "Let's read our book."

Since he didn't say much and abruptly switched the subject back to the book, Belle wondered if he believed her or not. She wanted him to believe her; she wasn't lying whatsoever. She wasn't going to push it though. If he didn't believe her, he would see with time it was the truth.  
Belle pulled away from him after placing a small kiss to his lips. Turning around she adjusted herself so that she was between his legs and leaning back against him. Not only did she want to be close to him, but he could also see the pages like this.  
Opening the book, she found where the left off and began to read.

He kissed her gently and leaned on her shoulder again as she began to read. He loved her, he loved her so much, and he never wanted to lose her again. He would go to that damn party for her… He would do anything for her.

As she continued to read, Belle relaxed back against him. Last time she had read to him, she wouldn't have dared sit with him like this. But now…now they had declared their love for one another. She was becoming very comfortable with him.

He listened to her voice and closed his eyes. As the time passed, a little bit before the book ended he fell asleep.

Belle was engulfed in the story and she was just getting to the best part where Scrooge realizes his horrible ways and tried to make amends with Bob Cratchit when she felt increasing pressure on her back. "Rumple…" She said pausing and trying to figure out what he was doing. Turning her head though, she could see that he was fast asleep and his body had gone limp as it fell against her.  
She smiled and watched his face for a moment, seeing how peaceful he looked. She hated to have to wake him, but they couldn't stay like that and she wouldn't be able to move him.  
Her hand came up to stroke the back of his head and she sighed, leaning her head against his. "Rumple…sweetheart…" She closed her eyes and inhaled his scent-straw, always straw. "Rumple…"

He moaned softly and he slowly opened his eyes. He looked up into her eyes and gazed at her. "Now do my eyes deceive me or do I see an angel before me? Or perhaps this is the ghost of Christmas present, here to convince me to get into the Christmas spirit? But I already am convinced, so I guess I'll just have to keep her."

Belle chuckled and gave him a loving look. "I've convinced you to get in the Christmas spirit? Then I must be the ghost of Christmas present-how else would I succeed?"  
She shifted in his lap so she could actually face him without cranking her neck.

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his forehead on hers. "By using Christmas magic to make me fall in love with you."

"Oh so you think that I have magic now?" She asked mysteriously to give him the impression that she may or may not. Of course she didn't, but she was playing along.

"You must," he said. "I never would have agreed to anything if it wasn't for you. You must have cast a spell on me, you and your witchy post-woman ways."

"If I did I certainly didn't plan on it…" Never in a million years would she have ever thought that climbing the mountain to convince the Dark One to attend a Christmas party-something he loathed more than anything-would result in her finding true love.  
"Perhaps you cast a spell on me…" She breathed softly as her lips inched closer and closer to his.

He chuckled and he gently kissed her lips. His arms held her close to him. He loved her, with every fiber of his being and he was so happy that she loved him too.

Belle's hands came up to his hair and as he kissed her she gently stroked his head. Just yesterday she had thought that she would never be doing this again, that she would never feel Rumpelstiltskin's arms around her ever again or taste his sweet lips. But thank the gods he had come to his senses and apologized.

He was very careful with the kiss. He didn't want to screw this up, not again. He slowly and hesitantly deepened it.

Belle did not object, although she had no plans of letting this go as far as it had the other night. Yes, she would probably crave it, but they had only just made up. She wanted to take it slow-or slowish at least.  
Parting her lips for him she let him dip his tongue in her mouth for a better kiss.

Their tongues curled together and he moaned softly. But he had to keep himself under control. After a while he had to pull away for air and he rested his forehead on hers. He sighed softly and gazed at her. "…I love you," he whispered.

Belle closed her eyes just to enjoy what felt like pure bliss. "I love you, too," she replied. She was about to say something else when she was cut off by the chiming of the clock. It was ten o clock at night. That wasn't very late, but again she hadn't told her father she was going to be out and she had to be up early the next morning. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his hair sighing softly. "I'm not ready to go home…"

He sighed softly and nodded, holding her close. "Me either. I don't want you to leave…."

"I have to though…I can't worry my father again…and I work tomorrow…"

He nodded and kissed her. Sometimes he almost asked her to marry him but he didn't know the first thing about getting married… He gently stroked her face. "…You ever think… You ever think about a future together?" he asked softly.

"Of course I do," she said without even having to think about it and leaning into his touch. "I want there to be a future for us…I told you I never want to be without you."

He smiled softly and nodded. "So…. You want a future with me? Like… Marriage? Maybe…. Maybe even kids?"

Belle blushed profusely when he mentioned those things. "I would want those things…as long as you want them too. I wouldn't want to force anything…"  
She recalled how he mentioned that he never thought too much about children. It was still unclear to her whether or not he really would want them.

He shook his head and cupped her face. "No, Belle, I want those things, I want them so much," he said softly. "I can't think of a better future with you."

Did that mean he was asking her? Her heart fluttered a little faster. Or was this just casual conversation to get a feel for what she might want?  
"I can't think of a better one with you either…" This was too soon though…they hadn't been together that long.

He smiled softly and kissed her gently. "…You really should get going though, I'll let you ride Max down."

Oh so she supposed he wasn't asking her… Her heart felt heavy then with disappointment, but she knew it shouldn't. They'd only known each other for about a month and one could only barely call each other boyfriend and girlfriend for about a week now.  
"You're right." She stood with his help and went to put her shoes and coat back on. "Can I see you tomorrow?" she asked. "After work I mean?"

He nodded. "I will look forward to it," he said softly and he stood up, brushing off his leather pants.

Belle's eyes couldn't help but wander down to his pants…gods he always wore leather pants-ALWAYS. And they were so tight she could almost see…she blushed and quickly looked away. The thought embarrassed her and she could feel her palms sweating.  
Trying to push her thoughts from it, she took his hand as they walked back to the foyer.  
After slipping her coat and shoes on, she turned to Rumple. "I'll miss you," she said placing her hands on his chest.

He smiled softly and held her close. "I'll miss you too," he said. "But at least now we know you'll come back."

Belle leaned up and kissed Rumple lovingly. "Goodnight, Rumplestiltskin," she said before allowing Max to lead her outside.

He kissed her back and gazed at her. "I love you," he called after her. Now he couldn't say it enough.

Belle turned back toward him and smiled. "I love you too…" She said, blowing a kiss in his direction after she climbed on Max's back.

He smiled and he caught the kiss, holding it to his heart. He watched her go and smiled softly. Max carried her down the mountain happily.

Belle hugged Max tight and petted him as he took her home. "I missed you too Max," she told him as they traveled. "I'm glad things are working out…but I wonder if you had a hand in convincing him to apologize."

Max seemed to smile at her and licked her cheek.

Belle giggled and wiped the slobber from her cheek even though she appreciated the kiss. "Well if you did manage to talk some sense into him, I am grateful."  
She bent forward and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "But for now I must go-I'll see you tomorrow."  
She waved to him and headed inside, through the back door, hoping she could sneak in without being noticed. If her father caught her she knew there would be many questions, and unfortunately for her he was there waiting with his arms crossed as she stepped inside.


	11. Chapter 11

Standing frozen in the doorway, Belle stood there staring at her father in shock. She was nervous-she shouldn't be nervous, but she was. She took a deep breath as she closed the door. "Hello, Papa…"

Maurice had been making himself some tea before bed when he heard her come in. "Belle… You went out tonight…"

"Oh yes," Belle said, trying to play it of casually. "I'm sorry-it wasn't planned…"

"With the same man I assume?" he asked.

Belle licked her lips and nodded her head. Oh great he would want to know more.

"Well… Have you ah, come to a decision? Will you be introducing us soon?" he asked. He appeared to be in a decent mood, not angry. "Unless you're embarrassed of your dear old dad."

Introduce him…suddenly Belle realized something she hadn't before. Whether she wanted to or not he would be meet Rumple and soon-the day after next to be precise: at the Christmas party.  
"Um…well yes…you will meet him. I'm going with him to the town Christmas party."

He looked at her and smiled. "Really? Do you mean it? Well, I look forward to meeting him at last, is he a good man? With a good job?"

"I do mean it…and um…" She hesitated. "He doesn't actually have a job…but he doesn't have to," she quickly added. "He has plenty of money…" Gold actually. "But Papa please don't think I'm seeing him for that reason. I could care less about his money."

"So he's rich?" he smiled. "That must be a plus. I wish you would tell me who he is, what his name is."

"Like I said Papa-his money means nothing to me. I didn't even know he was rich when we met and his uh name…" She knew if she told her father his name he wouldn't know it, but didn't he deserve to know Rumple's true identity instead of being surprised? "Well his name is Rumplestiltskin."

"….That's an odd name…" he mused, taking a sip of his tea. "Does he have a last name?"

"Oh…" Belle was thrown off guard then. Never had she asked Rumple what his last name was. She honestly had no idea and she felt horrible to admit that. "Actually, I don't know his last name…"  
Oh gods, now what was her father going to think of her? Was he going to think that they had done nothing but… Oh how could she have never asked his name?

"You don't?" he chuckled. "Well, you should find out in case I ever need it for wedding invitations."

Belle blushed then. "Papa, I wouldn't rush to conclusions. We've only been together a week or so…" But she was head over heels in love with Rumple and didn't want to imagine a life where they didn't marry.

Maurice chuckled. "I'm teasing," he said and went to take a seat at the kitchen table.

Belle just smiled, but it was a nervous smile. She walked over and sat across from him. She needed to tell him the whole truth. Her father didn't deserve to find out at the party. If he was going to be upset, she would rather him be upset now and not ruin the celebration for him by forcing this on him in public.  
"Papa?" she said, her voice very shaky.  
"Yes?" He sat there and stirred his tea as he waited for her to speak.  
"I um…I really do love him…"

He looked at her, and eyebrow cocked. "What? You're joking right? You just said you've dated for a week!"

Belle shook her head and spoke matter of factly.. "No I'm not…he's everything I've ever wanted. He's kind and caring. He accepts me for who I am. He actually encourages me to read… Rumple means a lot to me. Yes. I love him."

"Belle you can't possibly love him, you barely know him!" Maurice objected. "Not to mention that you don't seem to know anything about him!"

"Papa! I do love him! And we've only been together a week, but I've known him longer than that." Only a month but she wasn't going to disclose that. "I'm sorry I don't know his last name-honestly it just slipped my mind, but I know the important things. I know what matters." In a way she wasn't sure if she was trying to convince her father of the last part or herself. The more she thought about it, she really didn't know much about Rumple's past and he was very weary about telling her. But she trusted him to open up to her over time.

"Oh really, what else do you know?" he asked. "His parents? What his plans for the future are? Can he even provide for you?"

"Well I think we established he can provide for me," Belle snapped a little. "And he doesn't have any parents-he's a little older than me." Much older, but again she withheld that information. "And I'm hoping his plans for the future include me…"

"Oh, as a trophy wife now huh?" her father snapped.

"What? Trophy wife? Why would you say that Papa?" Belle felt hurt.

"Because I hardly believe that after a month of knowing you he could truly love you!"

Belle stood to her feet then, outraged. "You haven't even met him! How could you make an assumption like that? A few minutes ago you were happy to meet him and joke about a wedding. How is this any different than you and mother? You barely knew each other, but you fell in love just the same!" Tears were forming in Belle's eyes and she was more nervous than ever; she had not even told him who Rumple truly was.

"Belle I've had enough of this nonsense! Unless proven otherwise, whoever this man is, he only wants you for your body and cares nothing for you."

"Papa, that's not true! We haven't even slept together!" She blurted out without thinking. Oh gods… She withdrew a few steps back. This was not something she even remotely wanted to talk about with her father. Why the hell did she say something like that?

"Oh you haven't? Not even close?" He clearly didn't believe her. "That was why you came home upset the other night, he tried to take advantage of you! And you say he cares for you!"

"No, Papa! Do you really think if he had tried something like that that I would go back to him? He did nothing of the sort!"

"Well he's obviously smooth with words and was able to talk you back into his arms and to his bed!"

"Papa, I just said we haven't done anything!" Belle stomped her foot a little bit because she was getting frustrated.

"I've had enough, go to bed," Maurice commanded as if she was still a child.

Hearing him tell her what to do like she was still a child made Belle angrier than ever. Part of her wanted to just let him find out later, but she knew in her heart she couldn't do that. So taking a deep breath, she just said it and got it over with. "Papa, Rumplestiltskin is the Dark One. I'm in love with the Dark One."  
She then stood there tall as she could, holding her head high and bracing herself for her father's reaction.

Maurice dropped his teacup and it shattered, and he looked at her with wide eyes and a slackened jaw. He stared at her as if he never knew her. "Belle… No…this can't be…" He stood to his feet quickly and began to try a reason with what he just heard. "He must have placed you under some spell. I know you wouldn't think something this ridiculous unless he had done something to you! This isn't possible!"

Belle shook her head. "No…he's not the person you think he is. The stories of him aren't true. Like I said he's kind…caring… He only wants to be left alone. He wasn't even that fond of me intruding his home at first…" She couldn't help but smile at the thought, the love she felt for Rumple radiating from her features.

Maurice shook his head, looking at her as if she wasn't his daughter. "Belle he has put a spell on you!" He stepped over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "But don't worry…We'll rid you of that curse soon. I'll find a way."

Belle narrowed her eyes at him. "Papa what do you mean?"

"He's obviously placed some kind of curse on you to make you fall in love with him, well it won't work forever!" he snapped. "If you stop seeing him, then he won't be able to use his magic on you!"

"Papa! I'm not going to stop seeing him! If you just wait-just meet him- you'll see for yourself! He agreed to come to the party."

"No, I refuse!" he objected, shoving away from her. "You are never to see him again!"

"Papa how can you say that? You haven't even given him a chance! And it's Christmas too…can't you even find it in your heart to try?" She looked at him with pleading eyes, eyes that reflected so much of her mother in that moment.

Maurice sighed and looked at her unable to see the resemblances of his late wife. It killed him to know his daughter had been associating herself with a monster, but how could he argue with her anymore? Taking a deep breath he calmed himself a bit before finally giving in and speaking softly. "….If I don't like him at the party, then you never see him again."

Belle nodded her head and almost breathed a sigh of relief. In a way it felt like she had gotten him to calm down but not really. If he didn't like Rumple, there was no way she would stop seeing him. "Thank you, Papa."

"Now go to bed," he said and he started cleaning up the broken cup.

"Here Papa…let me help you." She ran to her father's side and knelt down to pick up the broken glass. "Would you like me to prepare you some more tea?"  
After all she felt like it was her fault he spilt it and broke the cup.

"No, go to bed," he said again and he muttered something under his breath: "Gaston would have been better…"

Belle froze when she heard him, but had she just heard him correctly? "What did you just say?" She said in a low and unbelievable tone.

"I said Gaston would have been better for you, better than that monster," he said, looking at her.

Belle literally went white. Her father would not believe those things for one, he had ever met Rumple and if he knew what Gaston had tried to do to her.  
"Papa no…" she corrected him. "I know you think Gaston might be a good man…" Rude and conceited where better terms-no monster was the best. "But he's the true monster."

"How on earth was he a monster?" Maurice asked.

Oh no…Belle hadn't intended to tell him about that night… But now she was going to have to. Otherwise he would continue to believe Gaston was a good man. Standing back up Belle shivered, but not from being cold. She was just recalling that man's hands on her and how much she hated it. She crossed her arms in front of her and tried not to cry. "He…he tried to hurt me…" she managed to say.

He looked at her, confused. "What are you talking about?"

Belle looked up at her father with tear filled eyes. "You remember that evening-or night- that I came home late and worried both you and Ruby? When I said I was out with Ariel?"

He nodded. "Yes… Why? What happened?"

"Well I wasn't out with Ariel…when I was walking home that evening I encountered Gaston in the town. He had been drinking and he kept making passes at me, but I was ignoring him as usual. But this time, it made him angry and he grabbed me and he…he…and he…"  
Belle closed her eyes and fought back the tears the best she could just thinking about it, but a couple slipped out and rolled down her cheeks.

He looked at her, concerned and worried. "He… He tried to… To hurt you?"

"He was going to…um…" Belle couldn't finish her sentence, but she knew as she looked up into her father's eyes that he understood what she meant.  
"But he didn't…and the only reason he didn't was because Rumple saw what was happening and he saved me. I was so shaken up by the entire thing-that I went home with Rumple to calm down and ended up falling asleep."

"The Dark One saved you?" he asked in disbelief. "But why would he even do such a thing?"

"I told you Papa…he's not who you think he is…Gaston is the monster…" Belle shivered again clutching her arms to her chest tighter.

Maurice sighed and shook his head. "I'll believe it when I see it," he said. "Now bed, I can clean this up myself."

Belle stood there and stared at her father in shock before she fled to her room in tears. She understood why he wouldn't believe her about Rumple…but Gaston? After learning about her experience Maurice didn't try and comfort her at all. Didn't he love her? Didn't he care about her?  
She threw herself on her bed and sobbed into her pillow late into the night until she finally fell asleep.


	12. Chapter 12

The next morning, Belle's house was quiet. Maurice had gone to work early to avoid his daughter and Ruby was fast asleep.

Belle tiptoed around the house so she wouldn't wake Ruby as she prepared to go to work. She wasn't much looking forward to it. Not only would it be very busy with people mailing off their last minute gifts, but she would have to see her father. Seeing him was the last thing she wanted to do after their argument the night before.

Belle decided to walk to work that morning, knowing afterwards she would be hiking to visit Rumple and she didn't want to have to figure out what to do with her car. She just hoped her father wouldn't say anything to her when she arrived at the post office.

Once there she braced herself to see him and went inside.

Maurice was busy with mailing last minute packages and he only glanced at her before he refused to look at her.

Belle tried to smile at her Papa, but it was a pointless effort. He was ignoring her and it broke her heart. The only thing she could do was hope that the Christmas party would change his mind. She didn't want her father to hate Rumple. She wanted him to welcome Rumple into her family despite how small it was.  
Trying to keep her mind off it, she set to work and tried to think about the fact that she would see Rumple later that day.  
Rumple…thinking of him made her smile despite everything. She really did love him and she was certain he loved her too. After all he was willing to embrace Christmas just to make her happy.  
Christmas…it was almost here and this would be their first one together. Well for Rumplestiltskin it would be more like his first real Christmas ever and that meant she needed to make it special. But how could she do that?  
As she threw a brightly wrapped package into the sorting machine she had an idea-she wanted to get him a present. Well, no not necessarily buy him something. She wasn't going to buy into that ridiculous idea that Christmas was all about expensive gifts. Plus she knew he would hate that. But she wanted to have a present for him nonetheless and what better present than a homemade one?  
Yes…she would make him something! But what could she make a man that already had practically everything?  
That afternoon when she left work, she ventured across town to the little fabric and craft store in hopes of coming up with an idea.  
Stepping inside, she began to wander the isles to look at what they had.

The store was filled to the brim with many supplies and decorated festively for Christmas. There were two old ladies behind the counter and they smiled at her cheerily.

Belle smiled back at the older women and continued to look around. There were so many things though and she felt overwhelmed; she had no idea where to start.

One of the ladies went over. "Well hello there, young miss," she greeted. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Actually, yes," Belle replied. It was easy to tell she was a little flustered. "I was hoping to make a gift for someone special…but I have no idea where to start."  
Currently she was admiring some golden ribbon-but Rumple spun gold. Why would he care for fake gold ribbon?

"Well, why don't you tell us about him and what he likes," the woman suggested and smiled. "What's his name?"

Belle blushed having not been used to talking about a significant other. "His name…" It made her nervous to tell them Rumple's real name. She feared someone would know he was the Dark One, but then again she had never encountered anyone who knew his name. It was silly to be nervous, but she still was. "His name is Rumple," she replied, using his nickname, "And he really enjoys spinning…maybe there's something I could make to help him with that?" She didn't know much about spinning, so the suggestion could have been pointless.

The lady's eyes widened and she smiled wide. "Rumple? As in Rumplestiltskin? You know our little Rumple?" she asked with shock and awe. Belle had no time to respond before the woman was calling over the other. "Margery, this little girl knows our Rumple!" The other woman, Margery, smiled excitedly and hurried over.  
"Esther, is it really true?" Margery asked, looking between her friend and Belle.

"Wait…what?" Belle shook her head. No, this couldn't be possible, how was this possible? These women knew Rumple? No, they were mistaken. "Oh no…I'm sure it's not the same Rumple," Belle insisted, surprised that there was even another person with that name.

"No, sweetie, Rumplestiltskin," Esther smiled. "We've known him since he was a boy, we haven't heard from him in 30 years. How is our boy?"

Belle looked between the two women slack jawed. She couldn't be hearing them right-or they _had_ to be mistaken. Something… The only way to clear this up was to tell them the truth though. It wouldn't hurt. People would learn soon anyway at the party. "Rumplestiltskin…you mean the Dark One? Because my Rumple is known at the Dark One…" If that was going to scare them she wasn't meaning to; they had to know that it was not possible it was the same person even though it was such a unique name…

"Dark One? Still in his rebellious stage…" Margery laughed and Esther smiled, shaking her head. "How is our boy? Come to the back and tell us all about him, it's been so long since we've heard from him." She took Belle's hand and led her to the back of the store where they could sit. Margery offered her a cup of tea.

Belle was in disbelief as she took the cup politely. How could this be? How did they know Rumple? He said he knew no one…or that he avoided everyone…she couldn't remember. Still, she was more than shocked to find out these women knew him.  
She followed them to the back, the shock still lingering on her face. "I don't understand," she finally said. "How do you know Rumple?"

"Oh, he came to us when he was a boy, only six years old," Esther explained. "His father wasn't a good man, and he just wanted to get rid of our poor boy."

Belle went stiff. "His father," she repeated in disbelief. "B…but he told me he didn't have any family…" That he didn't grow old-that he was never a boy. "You're saying you raised him?"

"For a few years," Margery told her. "He came to us when he was six, a very small, scared little boy and his father didn't want him anymore because of how he looked and because he had magic. So his father left him here with us and for the next four years he stayed. He was a very shy, insecure little boy, I'm afraid we didn't help that very well by keeping him inside and telling him that he shouldn't use his powers…."

Belle was just in pure shock. She couldn't believe what she was hearing-although perhaps she should be. She knew Rumple was keeping something from her and she figured with time he would tell her-but know to find out he flat out lied to her?  
"A…and what about his mother?" she asked. Now she wanted to know everything-clearly she couldn't believe what Rumple told her.

"Oh, his mother died when she had given birth to him," Esther said. "We never knew her, so we don't know how Rumple got his powers."

"And his father abandoned him," Belle repeated. She cast her gaze downwards at the cup of tea in her hands the nice ladies had offered her.  
Twirling it around in her hands she didn't take a sip from up-too upset about the news she just heard. It wasn't just that Rumple had lied-that mattered too-but hearing what had happened to him saddened Belle. How could a father do that to his son even if he was different?  
"A…and umm…why didn't he stay with you two?" She didn't think they abandoned him too. They seemed excited about hearing about him. Someone who didn't want him would not act that way.

"Well, when the boy was ten, he had gotten so bored of being cooped up inside, he begged us to let him outside. So one day, we covered him in makeup to make him look human, and we took him to the park. He was so happy, looking around, so curious… While he was there, he made a friend, a little girl named…. Oh what was her name?" Margery said looking to Esther.  
Esther shrugged, not remembering. "Anyways, the two of them played in the snow for hours but his makeup was coming off from the wet snow…" Esther continued. "That day when we went home and he begged us to let him go to a school pageant…. The day at the park went well, so for the Christmas pageant we covered him in make up again and let him go… Was probably the worst choice we made…."

"But why would you do that? Why cover him in makeup? I understand wanting to protect him…but you also want him to be himself! People know magic exists and there are other beings besides humans, even though they are rare. I'm sure Rumple would have been ridiculed by some, but many would still accept him…"  
This explained some of Rumple's insecurities, why he never wanted to go out without a mask on or be seen. It was horrible. How could these women have treated him that way?

"We know we made a mistake, we just didn't want him to be stared at and made fun of, his father had scarred him enough," Margery explained. "But we got a call that evening, before the pageant started. Rumple had run off, run away to the mountain. He had been embarrassed and humiliated by the girl and the classmates… He swore off Christmas then, and that was the last time we ever saw him…"

That must have been the girl Rumple had told her about-the one that he had thought she was acting like. "Did you go after him?" Belle asked. "He was only what, ten?"

"We did go after him, but he refused to let us see him, drove us away with his magic, we never got to talk to him…. We just gave up after that," Margery said.

"You gave up…" Belle felt a little angry at these strangers. "How could you give up? He was just a child! And from what you told me the last thing he needed was for anyone to give up on him! He needed you-someone, anyone! You should have tried every day to get to him, to show him you cared if you really do care…"  
Tears sprung to Belle's eyes as she became very emotional over this.

"We know we're not the best at raising a child, but he seemed to turn out alright if he gained a friend like you," Margery said.

Belle chuckled sarcastically. They were certainly more than just friends. "I've only known him for barely a month-he's spent the last thirty years alone otherwise."

"We have tried going up there but his magic keeps us away and we're getting old," Esther said in defense.

Belle shook her head. "His magic won't hurt you. He just made it where it frightens you away." She smiled at the memory. "I learned that firsthand. I saw through his illusions and masks and now here I am in love with him…"  
She sniffled and wiped away the few tears with her sleeve.

Esther smiled softly. "And does he love you as well?" she asked.

Belle sniffled again and managed a genuine smile this time. "Yes, he does," she nodded her head.

Esther smiled wide and reached out to touch Belle's arm. "I'm very glad. He could use a woman like you."

"He does need someone…he's so lonely…but that's not why I fell in love with him," Belle quickly added. "It isn't pity love… But he does need more than just me. I'm sure you've heard the gossip and know I'm the one who was supposed to invite him to the Christmas party?"

Margery nodded. "Yes we did," she said. "We had hoped that you would succeed. Rumple had so much love in his heart, for three years straight he would get up early to wait for his father to come back to him…"

Hearing that broke Belle's heart. "He did? W…what did you tell him?"  
How does one even tell a child their parent doesn't want them, that they are never coming back?

"We could only tell him that he shouldn't keep his hopes up," Margery said. "And not to be too disappointed if he didn't come home…"

"That's horrible." Belle suddenly wished she could be with Rumple so that she could hold him even though this happened so long ago. "Rumple did agree to go to the party tomorrow night though," Belle said trying to lighten the mood and realizing that the party was only a day away.

Esther smiled wide. "I'm so glad! Maybe the three of us together can convince him to come down from the mountain and live in town again."

"Maybe…" Belle smiled at how eager they were to help. "But I don't think it will be that easy. Rumple is going to need time, to take things slow. This will just be the first step-a good first step-to help him move in the right direction."

Margery and Esther nodded. "Well, we should help you with getting something that he would like," Esther said. "You were looking for a present?"

"Oh yes…" That was the entire reason she had come in. But she had gotten more than she bargained for. Never would she have expected to find out Rumple had completely lied to her and that these were his adopted parents sitting before her.  
"I did want to make him something, but honestly I have no idea what…"

"Well he always likes his tea," Margery said. "But I'm not sure what he likes nowadays…."

Belle sighed and tried to think. She didn't really know him either. This had become so frustrating. There was at least one thing she was sure of. "Well he likes to spin…but I'm afraid I don't know much about spinning. Is there something I could make that would help him or that could be for his spinning wheel?"

"He still spins? Oh wonderful! We taught him how to spin when he was a boy, it helped him keep his mind off of his father." Esther beamed.

Belle perked up. "Really? Then do you have any ideas?"

Esther thought for a little bit before she snapped her fingers and smiled. She went to the front of the store and she got out a kit of wooden pieces to put together and paint. The finished product was a little spinning wheel.

Belle set her teacup down and followed the woman out into the shop. When she handed her the little wooden pieces, Belle examined it carefully. "And you think he would like this?" she asked, uncertain.

"Absolutely," Margery said. "He always loved little artifacts and collecting little things."

Belle smiled. "You're right…his home is filled with an assortment of knick-knacks." She had spent many a moment admiring them.  
"I'll take it," she said happily and reached into her purse to pull out some money.

"Here, it's on the house," Esther smiled and put it in a bag for her. "There's instructions in the kit, I hope he likes it."

"Are you sure," Belle asked, already having her wallet out to pay.

"Absolutely," she said. "It's a gift for loving our boy. "

Belle took the little package and held it close to her heart. "Thank you," she said softly, feeling a few more tears pool in her eyes.  
She placed her wallet back in her purse along with the wooden spinning wheel kit.  
"I suppose I'll-well-Rumple and I will see the two of you tomorrow night?"

"Absolutely!" Margery smiled and nodded. "We can't wait to see you there, and we look forward to seeing Rumple again as well."

Belle wished Margery and Esther goodbye and left the store preparing herself for her hike up the mountain.  
She had originally looked forward to her visit with Rumple, but now after she found out the new information she was nervous. He was going to have to be confronted about lying to her and she wasn't even sure he would own up to it or tell her the truth. She feared this would turn into another fight, but this couldn't go unattended. Angry was one way to explain how she was feeling now, but she was also saddened from learning about Rumple's past. It was horrible, what happened to him, but now that they had agreed to be honest with one another he should have told her something.  
When she arrived at his doorstep she inhaled a deep breath before knocking.

The door opened immediately at her knock and Max bounded up to meet her, very happy she was here. He pounced on her and licked her face.

Belle laughed and grabbed Max hugging him and ensuring he didn't push her over. He weighed much more than she did. "Hi, Max. Good to see you too. Where's Rumple," she asked once she managed to calm the wolf down.

Max barked and walked with her down to the main hall where Rumple was having tea. He looked up at her and smiled, standing up. "Belle…" he said softly. "I didn't expect to see you so soon."

"Oh…I'm sorry…I didn't work late and I even shopped for a little while before I came."  
She stood there looking at him with her hands crossed in front of her. "I suppose we didn't discuss what time I was coming…" She was struggling with how to bring this up.

"Well it's perfectly alright," he said and he went over to her, wrapping his arms around her. "As long as you're here…" He moved to kiss her and hold her close.

Belle let him kiss her, but only for a short period of time. When she broke away she pulled back from him just a little and smiled sadly. "Rumple, we need to talk."

He looked at her and his heart began to pound with worry. Talk? Talk about what? She wasn't leaving him was she? Oh gods, please don't let her break his heart, please please… "…What is it?" he asked, almost frightened of the answer.

"Why don't we…um…sit down," she said. She wanted him to take this seriously and not brush her off which she was sure he would do.

That didn't help at all. If anything, it made him panic more but he tried to keep a cool exterior. But his eyes were showing how scared he was. He gestured to the two chairs at the dining table and he let her sit before he sat himself. This was it… She was leaving him…

Belle could see the fear in his eyes and all she could picture in that moment was a little boy version of him staring out the window waiting for his father to come home to him. It almost made her want to start crying, but she couldn't. She had to remain calm so he would take her seriously.  
Taking a deep breath, she expressed what was on her mind.  
"Rumple, as I told you before, this relationship is only going to work if you're honest with me. So I'm here wanting, no needing you to tell me the truth…no more lies."

He looked at her and nodded. "Of course, my love, anything," he said. He would do anything, anything in the world to keep her in his life…

Belle looked over at him in a slightly stern, but sad manner. "I want you to tell me about your past."


	13. Chapter 13

"I want you to tell me about your past."

Rumplestiltskin looked at Belle for a moment. That's what this was about? "But I-I already have…." he said, confused.

Belle shook her head. "No you haven't. You've told me nothing but lies-at least mostly lies. I want the truth Rumple. How can I be with you if I don't know who you are? If you've tricked me into believing your someone else?"  
Yes, it was true she knew who he was as a person, but everything she knew of his past had been false.

"What makes you think that I've been lying to you about my past?" he asked, looking very confused even though he knew in his heart she was right.

"Rumple quit playing games-I _know_ you've been lying to me. Now you're either going to tell me the truth and I don't care how." She moved hands around in the air as she spoke. "If we have to go back to our original deal where I tell you something and you tell me, then we can, it doesn't matter. I just want the truth one way or another."

"First tell me why you think I'm not being honest, and then if it's reasonable I'll give you explanation," he said. "Sounds fair enough to me."

Belle was growing angry. "If I have to tell you so you can decide whether or not my evidence is strong enough to keep it where you can continue lying to me then I know you're lying!"

"Belle what do you want from me?! I've already told you about my past I don't know why you think I'm lying!"

Belle turned her gaze away from him and stared at the floor, fighting back tears. Why couldn't he just be honest with her?  
All I want is the truth," she said slowly and softly. "I told you…I don't know why you want to hide it from me. I won't judge you or think anything less of you. I love you and I just want you to feel comfortable enough to tell me anything."

"Belle…" he said and he reached for her, trying to take her hands. "I do love you, with all of my heart. And I have already told you everything."

Belle ripped her hand away from his and when she spoke she spoke with sarcasm. "Oh like how you were born with magic? Or how you never age?"

"Yes, exactly," he confirmed trying not to give anything away. "What's with the tone?"

Belle sniffled as a few angry tears escaped. "Really? Because Esther and Margery told me they raised you after your father left. If you were born with magic you wouldn't have a father now would you?"

His eyes widened and he stared at her, shocked, completely frozen as if he hadn't heard her correctly. After a few moments he had to stand up and he ran his fingers through his hair as he paced. "You talked to them?! Why would you talk to them?!"

Belle didn't answer his question, nor did she stand. She just looked at him sternly and matter-of-factly. "Why did you lie to me?"

"Because my entire life I've been trying to forget the first ten years of it!" he yelled. "I don't want to even think about my childhood so it's better to say that I didn't have one!" He wasn't angry at her, but all of the memories came crashing down and he felt like that little boy again, watching his father walk away, scared and confused and heartbroken.

Belle licked her lips nervously as she watched and listened to him. "But Rumple, it's part of who you are. There's nothing you can do to change that. We've all had bad things in our life. It's best to learn from them, embrace them, so we can move on in life. It's not healthy to pretend it didn't happen."

"No!" he growled, flinging his arms around as he spoke. "You don't understand! That is not who I am! I am not that scared little boy, I am a powerful sorcerer, free to roam wherever I wish, rich and wanting for nothing and now I have the woman of my dreams as well! I don't have a father, and no other family! I will not let my past define me as weak and spineless!"

"Just because that's your past doesn't mean you are weak and spineless. You're still a sorcerer, but you have to admit you haven't forgotten about it. Your past clearly affects you given your reaction and given how you won't come down from the mountain and let anyone see you and how you lashed out at me several nights ago. This all has to do with your past."

"I want nothing to do with my past anymore! I don't want anything to do with my father or Esther or Margery or that damn school or her! I don't want any of it! So I was born from darkness and magic, and that's the way it's going to stay!" he said firmly, turning away from her. He was breathing heavily, unable to calm down.

"Rumple, please," she begged, standing and taking a step toward him. "Don't do this…just let me in and we can work past this…together."

"I don't want to!" he snapped, but tears filled his eyes. "…You have no idea what it was like!" His voice was breaking now. "My father hated me. He hated me because I took the woman he loved away, I killed her. He treated me like dirt because he never wanted me, he beat me regularly. But I forgave him, like the naive child that I was, and when he dumped me on that doorstep I waited for him to come back. Every single morning I would wait for him to come back, like a fool." His tears slipped down his cheeks. "And then I had to put up with those two idiots who have no idea how to raise a child and kept me locked away like I was some creature unfit for the world, do you know what that feels like?! Like the world never wanted you, like you were better off dead?!" He shook his head and turned away, trying to wipe his tears away, but they kept falling.

In an instant Belle was at his side and she had her arms around him so that she could comfort him as she listened to him vent. "You're right I have no idea what it's like," she said softly as she cupped his cheek to wipe away some of his tears. God Belle's heart was hurting to hear all this. It was difficult for her to hear all this, to know Rumple had gone through so much with an abusive father. Who could harm someone as sweet as he? She wanted to cry too, but she had to stay strong for him. "And you weren't wrong for wishing him to come back. You were just a little boy who loved his father. It's only natural."  
Belle continued to stroke his face softly, wiping away his tears and brushing stray hair out of the way.

He sobbed and he pulled her close, burying his face in her hair. There was a long moment of silence before he worked up the courage to tell her the last bit. "He…he left me on Christmas morning, Belle…" he sobbed. "On Christmas…"

"W…what?" Belle whispered in disbelief. Suddenly all the puzzle pieces began to fit together. His father abandoned him on Christmas. Now she was beginning to truly understand why he hated the holiday with such a passion.  
How could someone truly be such a horrible person to do such a thing? That was just cruel!  
Belle tightened her grip around Rumple, pulling him as close as she could. "I'm so sorry Rumple," she said softly. "No one deserves such cruelty."

He sobbed and clung to her, just crying his eyes out, releasing all of those pent up emotions. He was shaking from all of the memories… He had to sit back down and he dragged her down with him, holding her on his lap. Max walked over and sat at their side, whining.

Belle just continued to hold Rumple, curling into him, stroking his face, and softly kissing away his tears. This explained so much and now she was feeling regretful now for trying to push Christmas on him-but if he had just told her the truth from the beginning…  
Belle sighed and kissed his cheek again, cupping the other side. "Rumple it's okay…you're here with me now and I love you and I never want to hurt you, ever."

"I love you," he whispered through his sobs. "I love you so much, it would kill me to lose you. I've lost so much already… I love you…"

"I'm not going anywhere, Rumple," she told him. "I promise. I love you and I'm going to remain by your side no matter what."  
She smiled at him, trying to cheer him up, and she put her forehead against his.

He sniffled and he kissed her, despite being a very sloppy and wet kiss. He never wanted to let her go. After calming a little, he pulled away and sighed. "…How much did they tell you? Margery and Esther, what did they tell you?"

Belle looked at him slightly suspiciously. Did he want to know this because he was trying to lie to her again? Why couldn't he just understand he didn't have to do that?  
"Well…um…they told me how you came to them, how they protected you from the outside world, but how you desperately wanted to go out and make friends. They mentioned trying to disguise your skin…" She stroked his face and his hand as she referred to it. There was nothing wrong with his skin, although she could see how others might be frightened. He was different for sure and people didn't like different.  
"They told me a little about that girl and about the day you ran away."

He sighed softly and nodded. "…Cora." he said. "Her name was Cora. When we met at the park she said she was my friend, and she told me about the Christmas party the school was having… I begged Esther and Margery to let me go and finally they gave in… I used my magic to conjure Cora something for the gift exchange, a glass rose. The ladies covered me in makeup again and sent me to the school… Worst damn day in my life…"

Belle settled into his lap and listened intently as he told her the whole story…

 _It was a beautiful winter afternoon. School was out because it was the weekend and many of the children were at the park playing in the snow and ice-skating.  
Cora, however, hated the snow. It was wet, cold, and ruined her clothes. But her mother made her go to the park that day.  
Deciding she didn't want to anger her mother, Cora went, but she kept away from the other children, fearful they would throw a snowball at her and get the annoying stuff in her hair or on her new jacket.  
She would have sat on a bench and just watched them, but it was covered in snow as well. So the only thing she could do was walk around and grumble.  
Some of the kids spoke to her, invited her to play, but she declined.  
She was always very popular with the children and they desperately seeked her approval. She liked it like that, so when she saw a boy about her age in the shadows of the trees that she didn't recognize, she knew it was time to have some fun.  
"Hi," she greeted as she came up to the boy. "My name's Cora. What's your name?"_

 _Young Rumplestiltskin didn't like this makeup, it made him want to itch his face, but he could care less at the moment. He was finally outside and he could run around as much as he wanted. Everything was so fascinating, so different than just looking out the window… It was then that the boy looked up and saw a young girl with fiery red hair. He had seen children run by the house but he had never been this close to one. Growing panicked he ran behind a tree and continued to watch her. But she spotted him, and his heart raced. "…Rumple…" he answered quietly._

 _Cora giggled as he ducked behind the tree. "Why are you hiding? Are you afraid of me?"_

 _"…_ _I've never been out of the house before…" Rumple said, looking away._

 _"_ _I knew I didn't recognize you," Cora said. "Do you live close?"_

 _"_ _A little close…" he said as he slowly came out from behind the tree, but still very scared._

 _"_ _Why do you stay in the house all day? Don't you go to school?" She asked. She was very curious about this mysterious boy._

 _Rumple shook his head. "No… I don't," he said. "I don't go to school…"_

 _Cora tilted her head curiously. "Then how do you learn anything?"_

 _"_ _My aunts teach me," he told her. "They're not really my aunts, but I call them that."_

 _"_ _Oh." She nodded her head. "Do you want to play?"_

 _Rumple smiled and nodded. "I'd love to play!" he beamed and he hurried over to her._

 _"_ _Okay. What do you want to play?" she asked._

 _"_ _I don't know, what can we play in the snow?"_

 _Cora cast a glance over at the white stuff with distaste. "I don't like the snow. It will ruin my jacket." She glanced down at her jacket and stroked it lovingly. It was red to match her hair and definitely looked nice and expensive. She smiled in a sickly sweet manner. "But I suppose if I did ruin it I could ask Santa for a new, more expensive one…"_

 _"_ _Who's Santa?" Rumple asked. He had never heard of Santa before. The aunts didn't celebrate Christmas since it reminded him of his father…_

 _Cora's jaw dropped when he asked her that question. "You mean you don't know who Santa is? How is that possible? Even children who don't come out of their houses get visited by Santa on Christmas Eve and he brings them everything they want as long as they've been good that year…" She paused and looked at him skeptically. "Wait…since you've never heard of Santa, does that mean you've always been bad?"_

 _He swallowed thickly. "Bad?" he repeated. "I-I don't know… Am I bad? I-I don't want to be bad!"_

 _"_ _Well if Santa's never visited you and brought you toys on Christmas, then it might be true," she said in a know it all manner. "I don't know if I want to play with you now. I don't want Santa Claus thinking I've been bad too. There's too many things on my list this year I MUST have."_

 _Rumple shook his head. "No! No I don't want to be bad! I wanna play with you! How can I be good? Can you help me?"_

 _Cora rolled her eyes in thought. "I guess I could…" Maybe she would get more gifts from Santa if he knew she was trying to turn this boy good.  
She glanced around the park then and noticed two girls playing off next to the swing set. They went to school with her and she always held some distaste for them because they would never listen to her and do as she said. All the kids in school would bend over backwards to please her except those two.  
"You see those girls over there?" she asked Rumple and pointed their direction._

 _Rumple looked over at the girls and nodded. "…Yes.." he said. "What about them? Can they make me good?"_

 _"_ _No, but they are mean to me at school. The made fun of me and called me names. You would be really good if you did something about it…"_

 _He looked at the girls and then back at Cora. He hesitated. Wasn't this bad? Being mean to others? But she seemed to know better than him, maybe this was good. And then she would tell him more about Santa. So he went to some trees near the girls and hid, and then he pointed a finger at them. The girls suddenly couldn't keep their footing, slipping and sliding all over the place and covering them with snow. The girls started crying, confused about what just happened and Rumple looked over at Cora and smiled hopefully._

 _Cora half smiled back at him and when he came back over to her she didn't hesitate to tell him what he did wrong. "That was okay…but you only scared them. See they are still here and I want them to leave because they are upsetting me. This park actually belongs to me and I don't want people who are going to be mean to me at my park."_

 _"_ _Oh…. Uh, I don't know how to make them disappear…" he said. "But am I still bad? I need to be good! If I'm not good, my papa won't come back for me!"_

 _Cora rolled her eyes and giggled. This boy was so gullible. It was funny. "I didn't mean for you to make them actually disappear, although that would be great, I just meant get them to leave so they stop upsetting me."_

 _"_ _Oh… Uh…." Rumple thought for a minute before he focused on the snow and snapped his fingers. Then monsters began to rise up made of snow. They weren't too big but were terrifying. The girls screamed and the monsters chased them away. "Now am I good?" Rumple asked, looking at Cora hopefully._

 _Cora's eyes went bigger than they ever had before. Even she was a little frightened about what just happened and took a few steps back away from Rumple. The entire playground was now cleared off because other children had seen the monsters too. "H…how did you do that?" She hadn't noticed him use magic when he first made the girls cry._

 _"…_ _I don't know," Rumple said, not thinking anything of performing magic. "I just thought of it. They look like the monsters from a scary movie I saw… So am I good now?"_

 _Cora continued to stare at him, shocked to her very core and it was then that she noticed something else. Some of the snow from the tree had fallen down landing in his hair and now it was melting leaving a funny looking streak on his face.  
She squinted trying to get a better look at it when she realized exactly what it was. "Why are you wearing makeup?" she asked ignoring his question._

 _He quickly stepped back. "I'm-I'm not!" he said. "It's just dirt!" He had a scarf wrapped around his neck and he pulled it up to cover his face. "Please tell me I'm good! I want to be good so I can have friends and a papa!"_

 _"_ _First of all, you don't worry about being good so you get friends and so your father will come on Christmas. You are good so that Santa Claus will visit and bring you lots of toys." Cora sounded agitated that he would even think otherwise. But she was more interested in what was underneath that make up. "Here… I know you're wearing make up. Just let me see." She reached for the scarf._

 _"_ _No!" he said and he stepped back, still covering his face. "…How do you get friends then? Are you my friend?"_

 _Cora was getting agitated with the boy, but she didn't show it at all. Instead she kept that sickly sweet smile on her face. "I'm your friend," she insisted. "but only if you show me your face. I'm not going to laugh at you if that's what you think."_

 _He swallowed. Friend. He had a friend. All his life he had never had a friend and he couldn't help but smile. A friend. Surely if she was his friend she wouldn't laugh at him. He slowly lowered his scarf, showing the patches of his true golden green skin._

 _Cora looked at him in shock, but she didn't laugh. She was a little frightened still, but not much. This boy was a magical creature; he almost looked like a demon. She could see he was wearing contacts too, so his eyes were probably different. She had never met anyone with magic before. "See that wasn't hard? And now we have the whole playground to ourselves. Let's go to the swings."  
They were cleared off of snow since the other children had been playing on them._

 _Rumple smiled wide and he hurried off to the swings with her. "I'm glad you're OK with my looks," he said. "I know everyone else would laugh…."_

 _"_ _No I don't think they would…" she mused as she sat on the last swing. They would certainly be frightened of him, but she left that part out. This could be good for her though. She loved to frighten the children and to be superior to them. If she had a magical being like him by her side and they really would respect her and fear her. "But if you want to make more friends then you will have to show people your real face, show them what you can do."_

 _He hesitated. "…I don't even know where to meet people, I don't go to school…" he said sadly, looking at his shoes._

 _Cora sat there and thought for a moment. "Oh there's the Christmas pageant coming up at my school. You could go and meet the other children. And if you want Santa to come see you it would be good to show some Christmas spirit."_

 _Rumple looked at her and he looked excited. "And you'll be there?" he asked smiling._

 _"_ _Of course…" She chuckled. "I'm the lead in the pageant. I have to be there, But not only that I want to be there." Cora loved when the spotlight was all on her._

 _Rumple smiled at her. "Well I wanna go too. Can I come? You'll make sure no one laughs at me or is scared of me, right?"_

 _"_ _You know I bet you I can convince the teacher to let you be in the pageant…and I assure you no one will laugh at you if you show them what you can do…"_

 _Rumple smiled wide, tears filling his eyes. He never thought this would happen, that he would find a friend that wouldn't run away from him… "Then I'll go," he said. "When is it?"_

 _"_ _It's next Saturday. I can talk to the teacher on Monday," she told him. "Now what else can you do with your magic?"_

 _He swallowed. "I don't know, my aunts don't like me using my magic…"_

 _"_ _But they're not here are they?" she noted, swinging a little higher._

 _Rumple hesitated. "But…" he began, and then he could hear his aunts calling for him. He got up. "I gotta go…" he said. "I'll see you at the party?"_

 _"_ _Wait!" She exclaimed before he could run off. "Will I see you again before the pageant?"_

 _"_ _I-I don't think so," he said. "But I'll see you there!" He ran off to meet his aunts and they were in a panic when they saw the make up wearing off. They hurried him away from the park but he kept looking over his shoulder to smile at Cora._

 _Cora waved goodbye to him, smiling, hoping that he would come to the pageant. If he did she knew at least she would have a good time._

 _All the way home, Rumple begged his aunts to let him go to the school pageant. He begged them for days and every night before he went to bed. Finally they gave in and he was the happiest he had ever been. He smiled every day as he tried to figure out what to get Cora for Christmas. Cora…. It was such a nice name, and she had been so nice… He wondered if she liked him as much as he liked her… When he saw her at the pageant he might give her a kiss for being so nice to him. He finally decided on what to get her. He took a glass paperweight, and he turned it into a glass rose. Maybe she would like that. His aunts had covered him in make up once again and made him promise to call them if something went wrong. With his head held high and his heart light and excited, he went to the school. He was fascinated with the decorations, the lights, and the tree. And everyone was dressed so nicely. It was like a dream._

 _Since the moment she arrived, Cora checked the doorway over and over again, looking to see if Rumple was going to arrive. If he didn't she knew she would be disappointed. He had magic and she could use that to her advantage to get more admiration from the other students.  
Just when she thought he might not come, there he was looking around at everything with awe.  
Running up to him, she smiled. "You made it!"_

 _Rumple smiled at her and he ran to her, careful not to shake the box with her present inside. "I did! I'm so happy I made it!" he said, smiling wide. His face was going to hurt he was smiling so much. "I got you something! Merry Christmas!"_

 _Cora looked down at the box that wasn't wrapped in pretty and bright Christmas paper. "Oh, okay…" she said taking the gift from him, but not opening it. "Thanks I guess. Merry Christmas." She didn't expect him to get her something and she tried not to think about it, not wanting to feel guilty for anything.  
She glanced up at him with a brighter smile that was unrelated to his gift. "Santa's here Rumple! No one knew he was going to show up! Come on let's go see him. We need to see if he thinks you're bad!" She grabbed his hand and dragged him along, holding the present loosely in her other hand._

 _He would be blushing if he could when she grabbed his hand. Santa, he was here! And maybe he would bring his Papa to him… His eyes widened when he saw the large man dressed in white and red. He had never seen such a person before. But he something about this jolly man made him happy. As they waited in line to sit on his lap and ask for something for Christmas Rumple could hear that everybody just wanted toys. Hopefully Santa wouldn't be angry that he didn't._

 _"_ _You go first," she told him as she started primping her hair. "I might take a while. Oh and don't forget to ask him why he's never visited you…"_

 _Rumple swallowed and nodded before slowly going up to the man in red. Santa smiled so kindly at him, it made Rumple smile as well. Santa helped the boy onto his lap.  
"Now then, my boy, have you been a good boy this year?" he asked.  
"I-I don't know," Rumple said with an unsteady voice. "You've never come to my house before but I've tried to be good, I really have!"  
"Well then, what would you like for Christmas?" Santa asked.  
Rumple swallowed and looked down at his hands. "…Can you bring my Papa back, so he can spend Christmas with me?"_

 _The question took Santa slightly by surprise. He had encountered questions like this before, but not often. It was one of the harder things about the job and to think what a hard life this child probably had didn't make it any easier. There was nothing he could really promise the child, but he could try to give him hope.  
Santa smiled warmly at little Rumple.  
"Now, I'm sorry, but I'm afraid my magic is not quite that powerful," he told him. "But don't be sad…you can still have a great Christmas with the family you do have as long as you remember what it's truly about. It may not be what you want, but I'm sure in some way your Papa is still here with you and in your heart he can be there with you on Christmas Day."_

 _Tears filled the boys eyes. That was the kindest thing he had ever heard in his life. Santa was the best man in the entire world, and the boy threw his arms around him in a tight hug. "Thank you," he sniffled._

 _Cora couldn't hear what Rumple and Santa were saying, but she was definitely watching them curiously. Why was Rumple crying? Maybe because he was getting visited by Santa for the first time this year?  
As Rumple climbed out of Santa's lap, the jolly old man stopped him to say one more thing. "One more thing Rumplestiltskin," he said, using Rumple's full name that he never once told him, "you shouldn't hide who you are or you're bound to live a life of solitude. Yes, there will always be certain people that won't accept you and may even make you feel bad, but the ones that do accept you for who you are will be the ones to bring you true happiness in life. Remember that." He smiled and winked at the boy before turning and greeting Cora as she walked up the steps._

 _Rumple listened to the man, curious and confused. But he was still very happy about what he had said before and he nodded. "Thank you sir," he said before he stepped away and he waited for Cora. He had to force himself not to cry otherwise it would ruin the make up…_

 _Cora was the exact opposite of Rumple; her list of materialistic things going on and on. When she was done, she stepped down and met Rumple. "So what did you ask Santa for? Did he say you were good?" she asked as they walked away._

 _"_ _I asked him if my Papa could be there for Christmas," Rumple said. "He said that I should be happy to celebrate with the family I do have. He was very nice…" Rumple smiled at Santa as he looked at him over his shoulder._

 _"_ _Really?" Cora burst out laughing. "That's not what you're supposed to ask Santa for! He brings you toys and clothes or anything you want, but not parents!" She laughed a little more._

 _Rumple swallowed and took a step back. "But… But I don't want any toys, I just want a family…" It hurt when she laughed at him but he didn't know anything about Christmas, not really. She didn't have to be so mean…_

 _"_ _But Christmas is about getting presents, not family," Cora insisted. She held up the present he brought her that she hadn't even opened yet. "I thought you knew that when you gave me this."_

 _"_ _But I was being nice, you're the first friend I've ever had, I wanted to thank you." He glanced down at the gift. "You haven't even opened it yet…"_

 _"_ _Oh…" She looked at the present. "I guess I can open it now. Then I have to go backstage and get ready for the pageant. We can still see if the teacher will let you in it too."  
She began to unwrap the gift just then, wondering what this boy had gotten her. Maybe it was jewelry. She liked jewelry.  
It wasn't jewelry though; it was just a glass rose. What was she going to do with a glass rose? She forced a smile to avoid showing her disappointment. "It's pretty, thank you," she told him._

 _Rumple smiled wide. "I'm glad you like it. It used to be a paperweight but I changed it with my magic…"_

 _Cora's eyes brightened a little when he told her that. "Really? But I thought you didn't use your magic?"_

 _"_ _I've been practicing," he explained. "A little, after my aunts go to bed…"_

 _"_ _I wish you would show me your magic," she said in a disappointing way._

 _"_ _Well what would you like to see and maybe I could do it…." he offered. "…But all magic comes at a price…"_

 _"_ _What does that mean?" She asked looking at him through narrowed eyes. "Are you trying to get money from me?"  
She should have known…her family was rich and of course this boy was just trying to take advantage of her._

 _"_ _No not money…" he said. "But it took magic to make the rose so my price for it was I was tired afterwards…. If I were to do magic for you then I need something in return from you…."_

 _"_ _What do you want if you don't want money?" she asked, still not believing him.  
Before he could answer though, Cora's attention was diverted because she heard the teacher calling for her. Turning back to Rumple, she said, "I have to go…I have to get ready. Let's see if she'll let you participate too."_

 _"_ _Wait," he said and he grabbed her hands. "Pay me in a kiss? For the magic, a kiss?" His heart raced. His first kiss ever, he hoped she said yes…._

 _"_ _A kiss?" She couldn't help but laugh yet again, a little harder this time. "Why would I want to kiss you?"  
Once she stopped laughing a bit she grabbed his hand again. "Now come on the teacher is waiting."_

 _Rumple's little heart broke. She was right. Why would she want to kiss him? He was a freak… He pulled away and shook his head. "No… I'll just watch…." he said._

 _"_ _But don't you want to meet the other kids? We need help, you don't want to let everyone down do you?"_

 _"_ _I… I think I'm better off alone," he said. "You need to get going…"_

 _The teacher called her again, but she hesitated. "Just come on," she insisted. "I'll introduce you to everyone and then the teacher can tell you what to do. It will be fun-funner than just watching the show."_

 _Rumple swallowed and hesitated for a moment before he finally nodded. "OK…" he said as he followed her. "And no one will laugh at me right?"_

 _"_ _Why would they laugh at you?" She asked as they walked up to the teacher. "You haven't done anything and you're wearing makeup."  
"There you are," the teacher, Mrs. Pea, said as she saw Cora. "You need to hurry on now, everyone's waiting for you."  
Cora smiled at the teacher. "Ms. Pea, this is Rumplestiltskin," she told her pulling Rumple up so that she could see him properly._

 _Rumple half smiled at the teacher. "Hi…" he said softly and nervously. "Cora said I could help…"_

 _Mrs. Pea smiled sweetly at the little boy and she bent down to his level. "Well, hi there. I don't think I've seen you around school before…"_

 _"_ _I don't go to school," he told her. "But I want to. Can I help?"_

 _"_ _Well I think we might be able to find you something to do," the teacher said as she thought about it.  
"He can be one of the townspeople," Cora suggested. "So that he doesn't have to memorize any lines."_

 _Rumple nodded. "I'd like that," he said. "Just anything. I'm trying to have a good Christmas."_

 _"_ _Ok, great," Mrs. Pea said and reached out take Rumple's hand. "Let's go find you a costume to wear. Cora you need to go get dressed as well."  
Cora nodded. "See ya," she said to Rumple before running off backstage.  
Mrs. Pea took Rumple backstage as well, but to the closet so she could find him some clothes._

 _Rumple was still nervous but he was quiet as he waited for a costume. He hoped his makeup wasn't coming off._

 _The teacher smiled at the boy. "There's no need to be shy. I don't bite," she told him. "Here, I think we found one." She pulled out a pair of peasant pants and shirt with matching belt. "Why don't you go in the dressing room and try these on?"_

 _Rumple swallowed and nodded. "OK…. Thank you for this," he said. "I'm just trying to make friends…"_

 _"_ _You're welcome," the teacher told him with a smile. "And I hope you make as many friends as you want. Now run along and meet me near the stage. The show is about to start and I need to make sure everyone else is ready."  
She patted little Rumple on the head before hurrying off.  
Meanwhile Cora was in the girl's dressing room, putting on her gorgeous dress and gossiping with the other children. "You mean he actually wanted to kiss you?" said a little blond curly haired girl.  
Cora nodded. "I don't know why he'd think that. He's hideous. You'll see."_

 _Rumple changed and he made sure that his true skin couldn't be seen before he headed out to the stage. He found Mrs. Pea and tugged on her skirt, still very nervous._

 _"_ _Oh there you are sweetie. I see those clothes fit perfect," the teacher told him. "Now you just wait over there with the other children," she pointed to a small group who were also dressed similar as he. "I'll let you know when it's your turn to go out."_

 _Rumple nodded and he went over to the kids, standing quietly and nervously. He twiddled his hands a bit, looking for Cora…_

 _Some on the children glanced up at him, but ignored him. A few of them, mainly the girls were whispering to each other as they glanced at him. One of the boys, Jefferson, actually tried to strike up a conversation with him, but he was interrupted when Cora came out in a lovely, very Christmasy red gown.  
"Hey," she said to Rumple, "look at my dress. Isn't it beautiful?" She did a little twirl. "And my hair…" She patted her bright red curls.  
The teacher came out then and hushed the children, getting them in their places, as the play was about to start.  
"I'm the only female lead," Cora whispered to Rumple as the teacher spoke. "But I'm only in a couple scenes, because the main character doesn't love me, he just loves money. Oh here, it's time for you to go out…" She pushed on Rumple a little as the teacher directed the children playing townspeople to go out on stage and meander about in the background while the scene played out.  
When Rumple could no longer see her, Cora grabbed one of the children who was carrying a bucket of water and whispered in his ear while she pointed at Rumple.  
The little boy snickered and nodded his head, going off to be in the play and do as Cora suggested._

 _Rumple stood where the teacher told him and pretended to be choosing apples at a fruit stand. He wasn't paying any attention to the world around him he was just happy that he had a chance to be out of the house. Cora was right, this was better than just watching._

 _In the beginning, the scene seemed to play out like normal. The boy playing Scrooge walked through the town looking down on people and refusing to give money to the poor.  
The boy holding the bucket of water, Leopold, pretended like he was acting out his part as usual. However, when he walked by Rumple he 'tripped' and the entire bucket of water dumped out over Rumple's head, washing away every bit of makeup and revealing his true self.  
The entire room went quiet as they stared at him in shock and horror._

 _Rumple suddenly felt water dousing him and he screamed. When the initial shock had faded he looked at himself in horror. His true skin was showing. He looked up at the crowd and the kids around him. They were all staring at him, all of them. He started panicking, staying frozen to the spot he stood while tears filled his eyes. He couldn't move, he couldn't think, he couldn't breathe._

 _The room remained quiet for a fraction a second more before people began to yell out: "What are you? What's wrong with him? He looks like a monster…"  
All of the children stepped back away from him, a few of them retreating from the stage, screaming._

 _His tears fell from his eyes and he took a few steps back until the hit the scenery behind him. His hands were shaking. "….C-Cora?" he called, his voice cracked. "Cor-Cora?!"_

 _Cora was on the side of the stage and she had the wickedest of smiles on her face. Some of the children who weren't frightened had been snickering and she was one of them.  
She walked up to him. "You didn't really think we were friends did you? All I wanted was for you to do magic, but you refused," she explained to him in an aggravated tone. "Well…you wanted a kiss, but there is no way I would ever kiss that hideous face of yours!"  
A few of the other children began to laugh a little harder, mainly the ones that looked up to Cora and wanted to do anything to please her._

 _Rumple's little heart smashed into a million little pieces. She had never liked him; she only wanted his magic. That was what Christmas did to people, it made them selfish and mean and only think of themselves. In the back of the room there were two Christmas trees decorated beautifully. And suddenly they were in flames, his magic out of control just like his emotions. He started sobbing. Christmas was terrible. He hated it._

 _People in the crowd began to scream and flee as the fire alarm and sprinklers went off. Children scrambled to get off the stage and the teacher was trying to just keep order. They were afraid of him, everyone was afraid of him, all except Cora who just stood back and watched, loving the fact that she had gotten him to perform magic, really neat magic at that._

 _Everyone was screaming, everyone was running, everyone was afraid of him. He cried more and he ran out of the building, far from the school. He ran and ran, not stopping for anything. But he didn't go back to his house. Instead he ran out of town, until he found himself on the top of the mountain. He looked over at the town, seeing all of the pretty Christmas lights and the big tree in the center of town. He sniffled and rubbed his eyes. "I hate Christmas! I hate it!" He cried. He turned away and he saw a cave-a cave near the top of the mountain. He never wanted to go home again or see anyone ever again so it would have to do…_


	14. Chapter 14

Belle had remained quiet and allowed Rumple to tell his story without any interruption. When he was finished, she sat there, speechless, looking at him sympathetically.  
"A…and you've been up here ever since? For thirty years never seeing anyone until me?" she asked.

Rumple sighed. "Every once in a while I would come down to see the town with my mask, but that was when I was older, when I had better control over my magic. And I told you I traveled around a bit…" He sighed again and he reached out to stroke her hair.

"I'm so sorry Rumple," she said softly, leaning into his gentle touch. "No one deserves to be treated like that. And I think you just happened to meet the wrong child first…if perhaps you met another things might have been different."  
No wonder he hated Christmas so much. It had brought him nothing but pain his entire life.  
She reached up and cupped his cheek, before placing a gentle kiss to his lips.

He pulled her close and kissed her back. He loved her; he wanted her in his life and to never let her go. "I wish I had met you," he said softly. "But thirty years ago… I don't think you had been born yet?"

Belle blushed slightly; the subject of her age had never come up before. "I'm only twenty-four," she told him.

"And… Me being almost twice your age doesn't bother you?" he asked hesitantly. He hoped that they could still make this work… "Because…with my magic I could make myself look younger, and sometimes I can make myself look human, if-if you don't like it…."

"NO!" Belle cut him off. "Age doesn't matter and I've never been bothered by your unique appearance." She grabbed his hand and began to stroke it, examine it. "It's always intrigued me…" Her eyes met his. "I think you are very handsome just the way you are. I wouldn't change anything."

He looked at her and smiled, tears filling his eyes. No one had ever accepted how he looked before, never called him handsome. "….Handsome?" he whispered, in denial. "….You're not even curious about how I would look human?"

Belle chuckled ever so slightly. "It's never even crossed my mind. I spent so much time trying to get you to remove your other mask, why would I ask you to put on another?"

He half smiled and shrugged. "…Not even a little curious? Then we can pretend that I was just a man that you met at the post office…" He was trying to joke about it, but part of him did wish it were true,

Belle tilted her head at him playfully and didn't exactly answer his question. "I don't know, what about you, are you curious what I would look like if I looked like you?"

He chuckled and looked at her expectantly. "I could do that with my magic as well. We could switch for a little while."

Belle smiled at him. "Maybe another time…" she said, declining the offer. After having to practically relive his horrible experience as a child she didn't think it would be a good idea. Oh but then…oh gods…hopefully he wouldn't think she didn't want to look like him… Now she regretted her answer, but she couldn't take it back.

He shrugged and nodded, looking disappointed. "I understand, no one wants to look like this anyway." He gazed at her and quickly changed the subject. "….How about I show you something special to me, ok?" He got up and then helped her stand, before turning to lead her away.

Belle's smile faltered. "Wait, Rumple, please," she grabbed his hands and pulled him back towards her. "I didn't mean it like that…I don't want you to think I don't want to look like you-I just think we should be ourselves. I love the way you look. You've never frightened or repulsed me. The only reason you scared me the day we met was because you snuck up on me and led me to believe you might harm me. But that was just you hiding behind your mask. I know the real you now, and I love you so much. But if it makes you feel better, then you can change how I look." She hated that he felt he needed to do such a thing.

"Belle, Belle it's OK," he said as he squeezed her hands. "Your love for me is enough to stop me thinking those terrible things for just a while." He stroked her hair. "I'm alright with us, with you and me together. And I'm glad I don't scare you, because that's the last thing I want to do. I love you so much…. Now I really want to show you something."

"O…okay," she said softly, keeping a hold of his hand. She felt bad now for having declined his offer to play pretend for a while, but in all honesty she just wanted him to be comfortable with his appearance without having to change it or those around him.  
She smiled brightly up at him. "Lead the way."

He did just that, taking her to the foyer where he helped her slip her jacket and shoes on before he grabbed his cloak. Once they were both warm he lead her out to the snow and higher up on the mountain. When they were at the top, he took her hands and he turned her to the town. They could see the entire town from there, all the lights and the giant tree. If one listened very closely, they could hear the town as well, the music and the chatter…. It was beautiful.

Taking a few steps closer to the edge, Belle looked out on Storybrooke with awe. She had been able to see the city from different points as she climbed the mountain, but not like this. There were no obstructions and the entire town was visible. The sun had already begun to set as well and she could see as the lights were being turned on, including the large Christmas tree in town square.  
"Wow…" she said in a breathy voice as she looked out at the miraculous view. "It's absolutely breathtaking."

He smiled softly and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "Just like you," he said softly. "You took my breath away when I first saw you."

Breaking her gaze away from the view of the town, Belle tilted her head sideways so she could see him. She leaned back into him just a little. "Do you mean at the post office?"

"Absolutely," he said. "I thought you were beautiful. But back then I had no idea how to talk to you, I had no words for how beautiful you are, I didn't think I would ever see you again…. But now I can look back on that day, and say with confidence that you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, and you certainly took my breath away."

Belle put her head back against his chest and hummed happily. She tilted an eyebrow up at him. "Yet you still tried to scare me away with your magic the day I came to visit for the first time. And even after I saw through the illusions, you still tried to send me away…" She wasn't complaining; she meant to be teasing and playful.

He chuckled and kissed her head. "Hey, those magic traps are for every one. And I had no idea that you would actually stay, that you weren't here to hurt me… I've learned my lesson."

"That's true," she mused. "I had no idea that by coming here I would find the love of my life-that I would find true love."

He smiled and his heart swelled. "…True love?" he asked softly. "You think that's what we are? Soul mates and such?" He was very hopeful. To think that maybe he was meant to spend the rest of his life with her, to marry her and maybe one day have a family with her. He wanted that, he wanted that more than anything.

"I really do," she replied turning around in his arms so that she could actually face him. "I've never met a man who was willing to accept me for who I am, who didn't make fun of me because I love to read or call me odd. I feel it in my heart that you're the one I'm meant to be with-can't you feel it too?"

"I do," he said softly, pressing a kiss to cheek. "I do feel it. I know in my heart that you're the only woman that I will ever love, ever want to be with… Ever want to marry, have a family with some day… You are my soul mate, Belle. And I love you."

Belle's eyes became watery as she listened to him and when he was done she replied with, "I love you too Rumple, so very very much."  
Slowly she leaned in wanting to kiss him now more than ever.

He met her lips and he kissed her like he had never kissed her before, so passionately and full of love, like he had just given her his soul. He belonged to her now, and she belonged to him. He never thought he would be this happy.

His kiss was more passionate and intimate than it ever had been before and Belle could do nothing but melt into him and just let him take control, let him show her how he felt, let him pour everything he had into the kiss. She loved him deeply and there was nothing more she wanted than this.

He held her tightly and slowly deepened his kiss. He loved her with his entire soul and he wanted to show her. He just hoped that it went better than the last time.

Belle let her mouth fall open for him wanting more, so much more. She allowed him to kiss her for a while, letting their tongues dance around each other, until she hit a point where she was desperate for air and broke away.  
The sun had also disappeared completely behind the horizon, putting a deathly chill to the air. "Can we go inside?" she asked, shivering quite a bit.

Rumple let out something of a whimper when she pulled away but he nodded. It was getting cold up here and they couldn't very well continue in the snow. Taking her hand, he carefully led her back down the mountain.

"The view was very beautiful," Belle told him as they walked. "Thank you for showing me. Do you go up there often?"

"Not very much in the winter, but in the summer its very nice to go up and read for a while," he said. He led her back down to the door and helped her back inside.

Belle gladly accepted his assistance, thanked him, and removed her jacket promptly. It was so warm in his home that one would never even know it was winter outside.  
She began to imagine what it would be like in the summer, what it would be like to live here if they did marry. Would they still live here? Or could she convince him to find a place in town?  
She smiled at him and stood there with her hands crossed in front of her. She felt a little nervous now, unsure if their relationship was about to go to the next level or if he wanted to do something else. It certainly felt like it was beginning to move that direction as they kissed on the mountain. She wanted it to move that direction…

Closing the door behind them, he hesitated. Were they ready for this? Last time it hadn't gone so well, what if that happened again? What if she wasn't ready for this again? He had promised himself that he wouldn't react like he had last time. He cleared his throat and slowly turned to her. "Ah… I ah… I-I have a bedroom if you… if you wanted to… If we…" He swallowed thickly and looked down at his shoes. He had no idea what he was going to do…

Her face almost instantly turned bright red, but she kept the biggest smile on her face as she took a step toward him. "Why, Rumplestiltskin, are you asking me to stay the night with you?" she asked coyly.

He looked up and met her eyes, and he smiled softly. "If… If you wouldn't mind…Because I don't mind… I would like it very much…"

Instead of answering him with words, she stood up on her tip toes and placed a kiss to his lips. "Let me go call my father…I wouldn't want to worry him again like last time…"

He kissed her back and when she pulled away he smiled softly and nodded. He didn't know what was going to happen, but he was glad this was happening. Hopefully things would go well. "I'll wait for you in the dining hall." he said and he kissed her gently before leaving her to call her father.

Pulling her phone out of her purse, Belle began to dial her father's number when she paused. She couldn't call him and tell him she was staying the night with Rumple! What had she been thinking? All she would receive was another lecture. He might even come after her for all she knew. And even if she told him she was staying with a friend, he would see right through the lie.  
But what could she do then? She couldn't just stay and not call; that would worry him more.  
An idea came to her then: Ruby. Quickly she typed in a text to Ruby, telling her where she was and what she was doing. She hated putting her friend in the middle of this, but she knew her father would not be angry at Ruby and she would know how to cover for her.  
Shutting her phone, she went to join Rumple in the dining room.

Rumple was pacing a bit as he waited for her in the dining hall. He looked up at her when she came in and smiled nervously. His heart was going to burst out of his chest at any moment…. He reached out for her hand.

Belle stepped right up to him and took his hand just as he wanted. "Hey," she said softly. She didn't know what else to really say, she was so nervous, and excited. For the first time they would be spending the night together…well, technically second. But this time it was intentional and she was certain things might go pretty far, as long as he didn't get upset with her again.

He smiled softly. "So… Shall I show you to the bedroom?" No one had ever been in his room before, he was very nervous…

"Are you ready to go to bed right now?" she asked without thinking and unintentionally stalling. "It's kind of early…have you even eaten dinner yet?"  
She was quite hungry, but she felt to shy to ask him for his food even though she knew it was no problem. She was oblivious to what he had actually meant.

Oh… Oh so she didn't… She didn't want to take this further… She had just meant… Oh… The hurt showed in his eyes but he still smiled and nodded. "Dinner sounds good," he said. "What would you like?"

Belle could see right through his smile and she knew that look in his eyes. Something was upsetting him. "Rumple?" She placed her hand on his upper arm. "I'm sorry-did I do or say something wrong?" If she had she honestly could not determine what it was. Maybe he was still upset about having to relieve his past to tell her about it?

"….I just thought that… That when you said you wanted to stay the night that meant that…. That we could go further than what we are now…" he said, looking down and away. He cleared his throat and shook his head. "It doesn't matter, what would you like to eat?"

Oh…Belle felt that blush creep up on her face again. She smiled and laughed light heartedly, squeezing his arm. "Rumple I thought the same thing," she admitted. "I just didn't realize you were in such a hurry."

Oh thank gods she had understood correctly and so had he. "Well I'm not hungry…." he said with a half smile. "I just thought that the kiss on the mountain was….was clear enough…"

Belle couldn't help but advert her eyes as they discussed such things and it felt like her blush was only darkening.  
Taking his hand she laced her fingers with his and looked back up at him with he biggest and brightest smile. "Lead the way, then," she said, giving him permission to take her to his bedroom.

Oh gods… Oh gods, it was actually happening… Taking her hand and with an anxious smile he lead her down one hallway to a different hallway with many doors. Most of them were treasure rooms but the one on the end was his bedroom. He led her inside. It had a fireplace with a chair to sit at, a dresser, a bedside table, and a bed of course. It was a little dark in the room but he hoped she didn't mind.

As they walked down the hall Belle had never been before, she marveled at the architecture. All the sculpting along the wall was so intricate and detailed. There were so many doors too. She wondered what was behind them.  
His bedroom was rather dark and she couldn't see that well, but she hoped maybe he would light some candles or turn on a lamp.  
"Did you build this entire place with your magic?" she asked, unable to sate her curiosity.

"Well the mountain is full of caves and tunnels," he said as he closed the door behind them. "I just… Decorated it." With the wave of his hand, candles on the bedside table and the fireplace lit up, showing more of the room. It wasn't decorated very lavishly like the rest of the house was.

Belle's eyes widened as she watched him perform the magic. This was certainly new to her and would take some getting used to, but she was more focused on what was coming next.  
The room was very simple, which surprised her since the rest of his house was full of knick-knacks and such, but with the candles and the fireplace going it felt very homey and romantic.  
Unsure of how to proceed she stood there looking at him sweetly, waiting for him to make the first move.

He swallowed thickly and scratched the back of his neck for a moment as he looked at her. She was so beautiful, so sweet, so kind, so perfect… He gently cupped her face and gazed at her for a long moment before he began kissing her like he had out in the snow.

The kiss started out slow, but quickly it escalated into a very intense and passionate kiss, almost a bit more intense than it had been that night in the library.  
Belle's hands came up to rest on Rumple's chest and she pushed her body just a little bit closer to his.

His arms wrapped around her waist and held her close, deepening his kiss. He wanted her; he loved her so much…

It literally felt like Belle's heart was about to beat out of her chest in that moment. And her body seemed to heat up, almost like her blood was boiling.  
She certainly liked this, but she wanted it to move further for sure.  
Her hands slowly wandered to the lapel of his vest and down to his buttons were she began to undo them while he continued to kiss her.

He felt like he was on fire, it felt so good… As she loosened his vest, he began to kiss down her neck like he had before. He knew she liked that.

Every kiss on her skin felt like a spark of its own kind of magic. Belle let out a soft moan as she lost herself in his kisses and briefly forgot how to even unbutton anything.

He went back to her lips and his hands began to roam her of their own accord. They went from her waist to her hips and then… He cupped her bum without thinking.

Belle seriously felt like she was going to melt as his hands roamed around her. And then…yes when he touched her bottom it literally felt like lighting was shooting up her spine.  
There was this tingling sensation too in her lower belly that extended down to her private area. All of these sensations were so new and overwhelming.

Rumple pulled away and looked at her, passion in his eyes. He realized where his hands were but he couldn't make himself move them. Instead he did the opposite, and gently squeezed. Just being this close to her set a fire to his blood….

"Oh Rumple," she breathed breathlessly, in a way to tell him that she liked it. Instinctively her hips bucked forward, grinding into his. The tingling sensation was becoming more intense and she was feeling like she needed to rub against him to help relieve it.

Rumple moaned softly when she ground into him. His pants were already so tight, and when he felt her against him it felt so amazing. He slowly guided her to the bed and gently laid her down. He finished taking off his vest before climbing on top of her.

Belle already felt out of breath and she had no idea what to think or what to do. There was just so much emotion…so many sensations…  
She looked up at Rumple with hope and excitement in her eyes. She had absolutely no idea what was to happen next or how this played out. Her knowledge on this was very limited. She did know, however, that the next step or some step soon involved removing all their clothes. Removing all their clothes…suddenly she froze as the thought surfaced in her mind. He was going to see her completely naked…and he would see the scars on her back and stomach. She hadn't told him about those and they were practically second nature to her now that she had forgotten.  
"Rumple, wait," she said stopping him by placing a hand on his chest before he could start kissing her again.

He stopped instantly, he had learned his lesson from last time. He looked at her, concerned. He wasn't even paying attention that her hand was over his own scars, she could no doubt feel it through his shirt. "What? What's wrong?" he asked, worried. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, no!" She exclaimed quickly. "You were doing everything perfectly…its just…" She bit her bottom lip. It was inevitable she would have to tell him. This way was better then having him strip her shirt off and being surprised. "It's just, um…" She lifted upwards, gently coaxing him to move off her so she could show him. "I forgot to tell you about this," she said finally as she unbuttoned her white blouse, revealing not only her black bra, but also the large scars that spanned the front and the back of her torso. She glanced at him to try and gauge his reaction, hoping that he wouldn't be repulsed.

Honestly he didn't even notice her scars when he saw her in her bra. Oh gods… His pants were so tight… His heart was racing, his eyes were wide and his hands shook as he hesitated to touch. Then he finally saw the scars and his eyes widened. He looked at her in shock for a moment, before hesitantly leaning down and kissing her scars. "What happened to you, my darling?" he asked softly.

Hearing him ask her brought the memories fresh to her mind and her eyes pooled with tears, but feeling him kiss her scars so sweetly helped her stay in control. "When I was younger, much younger, I was in a car accident. A very bad car accident. It was the accident that killed my mother…" She sniffled a few times, letting several silent tears escape. This was not really the time she had wanted to remember that. She wished she remembered to bring it up earlier, but it was too late now.

He looked at her and cupped her face, gazing at her. "I'm sorry," he whispered. He nuzzled her cheek and gently kissed her. "I'm so sorry…" He pulled away and gazed at her. "….You know, you're not the only one with scars…."

She managed to kiss him back, but the fact that he was being so terribly understanding and sweet about this made her cry even harder.  
When she heard him mention scars on himself as well, she sniffled and tried to wipe away some of the tears. "Oh?" Was all she could manage to say at the moment even though she really did care.

He hesitated as he sat up, reaching for the hem of his shirt. His hands shook, but he pulled his shirt off, exposing the scars of his many beatings from his father. His whole body was still covered in the glittering unusual skin, but the scars were paler and didn't shine… He looked away, not wanting to see her reaction. This was the first time he had been shirtless in front of someone since he was a child….

Belle stared up at him, awing at his unusual skin that she loved so very much, but saddened by the many number of scars he had on his body. They didn't bother her and she hesitantly reached up to softly ran a finger along one hoping it wouldn't hurt him. "What are these from?" she asked softly.

"…My father, I told you he beat me…."

"Oh Rumple," Belle said barely audible. She wanted to cry again, but for him not her. "I'm so sorry." She bent up and began to kiss him, speaking between kisses. "I had no idea it was this bad…" She kissed him a few more times letting her hands run along his scars in a loving manner. "My scars are from countless surgeries I don't even remember…that's nothing compared to what you went through…" If only she could take away his pain.

He shook his head. "….No… I wouldn't change a thing," he said. "Despite all of my pain, all of my loss, everything that's happened to me… It all made me who I am, and you love me. If something like this changed, I wouldn't be the same man, and you might not love me."

Belle put her arms around his neck then and pulled him down to her so she could kiss him properly. "I do love you…so very much…" she whispered before pressing her lips to his.  
For the first this she could feel his bare chest against hers and it was more sensual than she could have imagined.

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 _ **FYI: Most of the remaining chapter is smut in case you would prefer to skip (scroll down to the next set of bold x's.**_

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He kissed her gently and held her close, slowly peeling off her shirt and leaving her in her bra. He kissed along her neck and came to the tops of her breasts. He still hesitated to touch…this was so new to him.

As he inched closer and closer to her chest, Belle became more and more excited. But when he paused she honestly felt like the anticipation was going to kill her. "Rumple, go ahead," she encouraged. "It's okay. I'm yours."

He looked at her. She was his. "And I'm yours," he whispered. With shaking hands, he cupped her breasts through her bra, gently squeezing. He swallowed thickly. Oh gods. "How… How do you take this off?" he asked softly.

Belle hissed when he touched her breasts, but it wasn't in pain. Gods it felt so incredible, but she knew it would be so much better without the fabric between them. So when he asked about how take it off she mumbled something about the clamp in the back, before lifting up and quickly removing it herself leaving her upper portion completely bare. Suddenly she became a little shy and couldn't look at him as he examined her bare chest.

His eyes widened and he looked at her perfect skin, her perfect breasts. He slowly raised his hand and gently cupped one of them. It was so soft… Licking his lips, he gently leaned and took the sweet little thing in his mouth. Oh gods she tasted like heaven even here…

The second his lips came into contact with her nipple, Belle almost screamed out in pleasure.  
But she stopped herself, not wanting to do anything embarrassing.  
However, she couldn't help but writhe beneath him and let her nails dig into his back ever so slightly.  
The pounding in her groin was getting unbearable-in a good way though. She wanted to beg for something, but for what she had no idea.  
Instinctively, she spread her legs and couldn't stop her hips from grinding up into him to get friction. Yes friction, that's what she needed-it was helping.  
And not only that, but as she continued to press her groin against his she could feel the bulge in his pants.  
Oh gods he just needed to remove, her skirt, stockings, and his pants so that she could get even more friction.

Oh, she seemed to like that, and he continued to suckle at her breast switching between the two of them. He was so drunk off of her, her writhing, her little gasps and moans. When she ground against him he exclaimed, "Belle!" His hips began moving of their own accord against hers, grinding into her as well. Oh gods it felt so amazing but he felt like there was supposed to be more…

Despite how good this was feeling, it wasn't enough and she pulled him back up to her so she could kiss his lips. "I think I want you to touch me…down there," she admitted shyly unable to hold his eye contact.

"T-Touch you?" he whispered before he looked down between her legs. He had never seen that before, he didn't even know what it looked like…

Oh gods she knew she shouldn't have asked…why the hell would he ever want to do something like that?  
He was probably repulsed at the thought…it was a very private area, just like the bulge in his pants.  
She had never seen a naked man before, but she had glanced at an anatomy book before, so she had idea what was behind those leather breeches…and gods she had the strongest desire to see for herself, but that was probably wrong of her to want that.  
"I…I'm sorry…" she stuttered. "I shouldn't have asked that-I don't know what came over me. We can just keep doing this."

He shook his head. "Belle, no, sweetheart, I want to," he said softly and he kissed her cheek. "I just… I've never done this before, I don't know….what it looks like…." He said before he looked back at her skirt. "….May I?" he asked, his fingers reaching for the hem of her skirt, wanting to pull it off.

Eagerly she nodded her head giving him permission.

He swallowed and pulled off her skirt, revealing her stockings and her underwear, oh gods oh gods oh gods…. His hands were still shaking as he reached for the stockings…

Belle smiled softly down at him. "It's okay Rumple," she assured him again.

He took a deep breath and nodded. He started pulling off her stockings only the find out that he accidentally grabbed her underwear as well and managed to pull both of them off at the same time. He looked at her, his eyes wide like there was treasure was before him. He swallowed thickly. Her folds were glistening with wetness and when he leaned closer, he could smell her amazing and intoxicating scent. Gently he used his fingers to slowly explore the folds as she had requested…. It was so hot, so wet…

The moment his fingers came into contact with her, Belle almost lost it. She moaned and writhed around on the bed, grinding herself against his hand to get as much friction as possible.  
She never imagined anything could feel this wonderful or make her feel as if she was about to lose her mind. Her hands gripped the bedspread as she called his name a few times.

He was shocked that a little touch could drive her crazy like this, but he liked it. And hearing her calling his name…. He felt like his cock was going took burst, but he did his best to ignore it. He continued to stroke her folds and even delve in between them finding more and feeling how incredibly hot and wet it was. As he explored, he found an opening…. What the devil was it? He stroked around it, maybe it felt good…

Belle was practically seeing stars and when he began to feel around down there and discovered her entrance, she felt like she needed him to do something else, but she had no idea what. So she just kept grinding against him, feeling like she was on the verge of something, but whatever it was wouldn't come. Her core was throbbing though and she had no idea what to tell him to do to relieve it.

He continued to stroke around there, no knowing what to do either. She was so slick and wet, and suddenly and not meaning to, his finger slipped the opening. He gasped, pulled his hand away, and looked up at her. "Did-Did that hurt?" he asked.

"Oh gods, Rumple!" she exclaimed with pleasure.  
Her head shot up and she looked down at him. "W…what did you just do?" she asked, ready to beg him to do it again, not even realizing he had just asked her something.

"I-I…. I didn't mean to." he said, taking his hand away. "It-It– My finger just slipped inside, I'm sorry." He was panicking now, had he just hurt her? He didn't know what to do!

"No, no, don't be sorry…" She blushed. "It felt really good…"

He looked at her. "It… It did?" he asked. He swallowed thickly and slowly put his hand back. "So… If I do this…." he inserted a finger inside her again and began to move it around, "does it feel good too?"

"OH GODS YES!" Belle screamed at the top of her lungs, bucking into his hand. That sensation was beginning to build again and she had no idea if this was even safe for her to be doing, but it felt much too good for her to even care. "Keep moving your finger," she begged. Something was about to happen, she could feel it.

It felt that good to her? He did what she asked and continued to move his finger inside her, even went so bold as to move it faster, feeling all around! Was that where his member went? He had rubbed himself before for relief in the past. It was a similar motion and it made sense, and oh how the thought of doing such a thing made him want to cum right there. He bent down and suckled her breast again as his finger moved faster.

"Rumple, oh gods, RUMPLE!" Belle screamed as suddenly some strange feelings suddenly took over her body causing her to forget how to move, how to breathe, how to think.  
All the muscles in her lower area began to spasm and contract around his finger, causing her to scream one more time as she hit the peak before the come down.  
As she settled back down, she was entirely out of breath and a little dizzy, but she felt absolutely amazing. She wanted to thank Rumple for whatever he did, but at the moment she just couldn't find any words.

He watched her as she seemed to fall apart from his touch. When she was calm. he withdrew his finger, which was coated with her juices. Was what just happened to her the same thing that happened to him when he stroked himself? He moved back up to gaze at her, seeing how truly beautiful she was, scars and all. He gently leaned and kissed her softly. "I love you…" he whispered.

"I love you, too," she managed, kissing him back and wrapping her arms around his neck. She felt weak now. Whatever he had just put her body through had practically drained all her energy.

He sat on the bed, looking at her. Was… Was that it? Were they done? Then why did he still feel so tight, like he was going to burst? If… If that was it then.. it wasn't very satisfying for him, he felt like he was aching down there… He laid down on the bed next to her, not sure how to feel. Should he ask her to stroke him like he did himself at times? Or should he ask if he could put his cock inside her opening? As wonderful as that sounded, he was too terrified to request such a thing. He didn't even know if that was correct. He didn't want her to laugh at him if it wasn't.

After she caught her breath, Belle turned to her side to face him. Her gaze fell down to his still clothed lower half and it lingered there at the clearly noticeable bulge in his pants.  
Hesitantly, she placed a hand near the rim of his pants, gently rubbing his bare stomach.  
"You were able to explore me," she said softly, shyly. "C…can I see you too?"  
She was desperately curious and her heart fluttered as she waited for his answer.

He jumped when she rubbed his stomach. He had always been very ticklish… He hesitated before he nodded, allowing her to take them off. "Go ahead…"

Her hands came to rest at the button on his pants and slowly she undid it before taking a deep breath, unzipping the zipper, and tugging at the pants. Only she really couldn't get them to budge and she was afraid to hurt him so she looked up to him for help in taking them off.

He swallowed thickly and with shaking hands he managed to pull the breeches His cock sprang up, hard and throbbing and twitching. He had no hair down there, and it was just as golden as the rest of him. He looked away, not knowing if he should be ashamed of how he looked… He had never been naked in front of a woman. What would she think of him?

Belle's eyes widened as she stared at the foreign body part that only men possessed. It was so fascinating; her books did not do it justice. Her books also didn't show it on a person like Rumple, a magical being, but it looked similar nonetheless and just a little bit smoother than the rest of his skin although the color matched.  
Her hand reached out to touch him, but she paused and looked up at him. "May I?" she asked for permission.

He wasn't sure if he liked her staring at it, but this was her first time too… He swallowed as she raised her hand up and he nodded. "Yeah… I'm yours," he whispered, but he was still nervous.

Slowly Belle reached out for him, gently touching the tip and then moving her fingers down along the long shaft. It was so smooth, so soft…

He gasped and threw his head back when she touched him. This touch felt like nothing like when he did it. It felt like fire in his blood and his cock twitched in her hand. "Oh gods Belle…" he gasped. "Don't stop…"

At first when he gasped, Belle almost withdrew her hand thinking she might have hurt him. But it was clear by the rest of his reaction that it was the opposite.  
She smiled to herself and went back to him. It seemed to move a little bit and she wondered if he was intentionally doing that or if it did it on it's own. She wasn't going to ask though, not right now.  
For a few moments she just continued to softly rub with one hand, just examining him and getting a feel for it. The end of it was slightly mushroom-shaped and she traced the outline before letting her hand just grip it.

He was moaning so loud he was basically howling with pleasure. Any second now he knew he would explode. "Don't stop," he moaned again. His member throbbed again.

Remembering what he did with her, Belle decided to wrap her hand around him and gently move her hand back and forth. She didn't want to do it too hard for fear of hurting him.  
As she continued with the ministrations, she let her thumb touch the tip where she stroked it too.  
She was also beginning to feel that strange sensation in her lower belly again and her core was throbbing like it wanted him again.

He howled in pleasure again and he was panting. He felt something tighten and then it exploded. From his shaft, a white substance burst out in thick ropes, splattering a;; over her hand, his stomach and even a bit on her face. He panted heavily and collapsed on the bed, shuddering. He could see stars and colors and oh gods he really was in heaven. His member shuddered and began to grow soft again.

Belle gasped as the white stuff unexpectedly emerged, practically going everywhere, and she immediately let go of him, pulling back away, but not soon enough to prevent it from going all over her: her hand, her cheek, and when she glanced down she saw there was a little in her hair.  
She had no idea what just happened, nor did she have any idea what to do now. "W…what happened?" she asked, unwilling to move, fearing the stuff would get on his lovely bedspread. She was slightly in shock as well.

He panted heavily and he slowly opened his eyes, gazing at her like she was an angel from above, He reached out to her to hold her close. "I love you…" he whispered. "That's… That's what happens to a man, when he's done. I believe it's like when you…" He wasn't sure what to call it.

As he pulled her to him, she could feel the sticky stuff from his stomach brush up against hers. She wasn't repulsed by this, and she wasn't, just surprised.  
"So we're done now?" She asked trying to mask the fact that this all still felt incomplete because her core was still throbbing. Maybe she just wanted him to touch her again.

"I… I don't know," he said. He hesitated to say what was on his mind, but forced himself to do so. "I think… I think that my uh… my cock can go inside you, when it's hard…."

Oh gods just talking about this was making Belle turn red again and she couldn't look him entirely in the eye.  
But when he mentioned putting his member in her, that huge thing, she nearly fell off the bed and began to talk fast and nervously.  
"What? Why do you think that? How? It's too big!"  
His finger fit in there just nicely, but he had to of felt how tight she was around him. There was no way it could be possible to fit him in there. Although the thought of it was getting her excited again.

"Hey, hey calm down," he said. "I don't know, but if a baby is supposed to come out of you, I assume you stretch…" He only knew that a baby came a woman because of his aunts when he had asked where babies came from.

Oh, babies, that's right. She hadn't thought of that and she knew about the process of birth.  
Still the thought of him sticking himself into her, well it was frightening, yet exciting at the same time and again she felt that need, that urge.  
"Maybe you're right," she finally agreed.  
Her gaze went to her very sticky hand. "So is this what will give me a baby then…" She was trying to recall the information from her books, but when she said it out loud it all began to come together. She hadn't even considered the possibility of getting pregnant!

He swallowed. "Um… perhaps…" He wasn't entirely sure. But now that he had mostly figured out what happened, it was beginning to make sense. Gods, what if they did this properly next time and it did give her a baby… A baby, a child of his and hers… He knew he wasn't ready to be a father yet but one day… One day he wanted to be, and he would be a better father than his had ever been… He looked at her and she looked worried. "What's wrong?"

"Oh nothing…it's just…well…neither of us took in to account that I could have gotten pregnant-I mean if we had done this correctly…"  
There was no doubt in her mind that she wanted children with him, but it was too soon now. They were just starting their life together.

"Well then next time we'll have to be careful, it'll be ok," he said and he held her close. "…Honestly though I'm sad we didn't do this the proper way… I bet it would feel amazing…"

"You think it would feel better than it did?" she asked. It was hard to believe that anything could feel better than what she had just experienced. Then again she was shocked at how good that felt, maybe he was right.

He nodded. "I really do." He looked down at himself and at her, seeing they were still covered in his cum. "…Maybe we should take a bath to get all of this stuff off…"

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Belle bit her bottom lip. A bath sounded wonderful. "You want to take one together?" she asked hesitantly, worried he meant apart.

He smiled softly and nodded. "If you want to, If you don't mind…"

Belle leaned forward and kissed him gently. "I'd love to," she said with a smile.

He kissed her softly and nodded. Getting up he went to a door to the right of the bed and it opened to a very lavish bathroom, with a tub big enough for two. He filled the tub with his magic, producing lots and lots of bubbles.

Everything about his house was so lavish and over the top, but she didn't complain. She just marveled at how the tub had been filled in a blink of an eye. Walking over to the sink, she washed the majority of his stuff off her hand so as not to get it all in the tub.

He climbed in the bath tub and sighed, content. The water was so nice. He reached out to help her into the tub.

With his assistance Belle carefully climbed into the tub and settled down between his legs, leaning back up against him. There were so many bubbles that they overflowed out onto the floor once she was in the water.  
She sighed happily. "This is perfect…"

He smiled and nodded, and he held her close around the waist. He placed a kiss on her neck. "Are you happy?" he asked softly.

"So very happy," she admitted closing her eyes.

He nodded. Gently he wiped his stuff from her face and hair. "So… Still want to stay the night?"

"What?" She turned and looked at him with a slight panic look. "D…do you not want me to anymore?"

"Belle of course I want you to stay!" he said. "I was just asking, that's all." He feared she would want to leave now. He constantly feared she would.

Why did he ask then? Had she given him some sort of indication that she wanted to go home tonight? "I do want to stay Rumple, I really do."

"Then you're welcome in my bed," he said softly. He kissed her neck again. "I love you…"

"I love you too," she replied and hummed in approval to his kisses. Reaching over for the sponge, she shifted to turn around and face him. "Would you like me to wash you?"

Rumple smiled softly and nodded. "I would like that…"

Nodding, Belle lathered the sponge up with soap and began the run it across his body, starting with his shoulders and doing his arms before moving on to his chest.

He watched her as he let her wash him. He loved her, and everything about her was beautiful. Suddenly he took a handful of bubbles and placed it on top of her head, smiling mischievously. "Now you have a hat."

Belle gasped and looked up as some of the bubble of fell down her face. Giggling, she wiped the bubbles out of her eyes and looked at him playfully. Grabbing a handful of her own bubbles, she began to place them around Rumpelstiltskin's face. "I have a hat, you should have a beard."

He laughed and blew some bubbles away from his mouth so he could still talk. "How do I look with a beard?" he smiled.

Belle smiled as she made the beard a little bit longer. "You kind of look like Santa Claus…" The words were out of her mouth before she even had time to think about it.

He stopped. He swallowed thickly and sighed. "Well I guess that's a good thing…"

"I'm sorry," she apologized realizing what she said. Her gaze cast downwards. "I just said it…I wasn't thinking."

He reached out and cupped her face. "It's alright, love…It's fine, really."

She hadn't done it on purpose and she could only hope that he knew that.  
The only thing she could do was try to lighten the situation and make a joke out of it.  
"If only there was mistletoe…then perhaps Santa could receive a kiss…"

He chuckled softly. He wiped the bubbles away from his mouth and leaned forward to gently kiss her.

Belle didn't let him kiss her though. Instead she pulled back and away from him, smiling smugly. "Trying to steal a kiss with no mistletoe? Santa how dare you! You should know better!" He had wiped away the bubbles now, revealing all his true face. "You sir, are an imposter."

He laughed. "Oh no, I've been caught," he said. "How ever shall you punish me?"

Belle eyed him mysteriously before she inhaled a deep breath and disappeared down underneath the bubbles.  
She remained there for just a few seconds, enough for the anticipation, before she popped back up grabbed him by the arms and pulled him playfully back down into the sea of bubbles with her.

He began to gasp, but he was cut off by the water and he struggled against her hold. He was starting to panic.

Belle could sense his fear and she instantly released him, letting him sit back up, following him. "Rumple are you alright?" she asked, very worried. "I'm so sorry…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to! I was just playing…I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you!"  
Tears filled her eyes. She just couldn't do anything right could she?

Rumple instantly shot up and he clung to the side of the tub. Tears filled his eyes and he sobbed quietly. He was gripping the tub like his life depended on it. He slowly opened his eyes and he looked at her once his heart had calmed down a bit. He reached out to hold her and he drew her close. "It's not your fault," he said softly. "It's not your fault, I'm ok…"

He was crying-why was he crying? Why did this upset him so badly?  
"I don't understand," she said fighting back tears. She wanted to cry because she had unintentionally hurt him. "W…why are you so upset? I thought you knew I was playing with you?"  
He had provoked her and she didn't think he put all these bubbles in the bathtub if he didn't want to have fun.

"I know…I know you were playing with me…. My father, he used to… Well he would drink a lot, pretty often in the night so whenever it was my bath time he would play a game called 'How long can Rumple stay underwater?' He got a pretty good kick out of it whenever he drank."

Oh gods…oh gods…his father! His horrible horrible father! She hated this man, hated him so very much even though she had never met him. And now she had done this to him, but she didn't know. How could she know?  
Her hands rested on his chest as she leaned on him, looking up into his eyes. Her own eyes were filled with tears she couldn't control. "I'm so sorry Rumple," she repeated. "I'm sorry…"

He held her close and kissed her head. "It's not your fault my love," he whispered, comforting her. "I'm alright, it's alright…" He held her close, trying to block all of those memories.

She rested against his chest, crying just a little more before she spoke. "I'm afraid I've ruined our fun now…"  
She felt like she did that a lot and it really depressed her.

He shook his head. "No, sweetheart," he said softly and he put more bubbles on her head. "We can still have fun."

Belle managed to smile because of his efforts, but her heart wasn't in it now. She felt ashamed and even though he said it wasn't her fault, it still lingered in the air.  
"Maybe we should get out," she suggested. The water wasn't getting cold, probably because of the magic, but she was beginning to prune.  
"There will be plenty of bath and bubble fun in the future."

He smiled softly and nodded. He gave her a gentle kiss before he gout out of the tub, grabbing a towel for her and himself. He helped her out before starting to dry himself. There was heaviness in the air now and he hated it.

Taking the towel, Belle ran it through her hair, before she wrapped it around her body. It was so warm and kept her from shivering. She wondered if it was also enhanced with magic.  
Trying to change the subject and make the air light again, Belle looked at him bashfully as she told him, "You know I don't have anything to sleep in."  
This had been an impromptu decision to stay the night and she would not be comfortable at all if she slept in her clothes.

He looked at her and half smiled. "Well I could conjure something for you or…. We could just sleep without clothes…."

She averted her gaze as she blushed. It was going to take some time for her to cease being so shy around him when it came to these things.  
"Won't it be cold? It is winter. I don't want either of us to catch a cold…"  
Could he even catch a cold? She forgot about the magic.

"Belle we have blankets and the fireplace and we're inside the mountain away from all the snow, I don't think we'll be catching a cold any time soon," he said.

Of course, she wasn't thinking. She was just nervous and shy and her smile showed that, but it also showed she was being sincere when she said. "I'd like that."

He nodded and once he was dry he drained the tub. He looked over at her, seeing how beautiful she was… "You're so beautiful…" he said softly.

"Thank you," she said with a smile. "You're quite handsome yourself."

He chuckled and shook his head. "If you say so," He turned around to head back to the bedroom.

Belle followed along behind him with the towel still wrapped around her. She yawned once or twice, not realizing how tired she really was. She had completely forgotten about food as well.

Rumple sat down on the bed and he looked up at her. "Tired?"

Belle's eyes drooped and she nodded. She took her towel off and ran it through her hair, before she went around to the side of the bed and climbed in. Still feeling shy, she pulled the blanket up over her.  
"I think what we did earlier really took it out of me," she told him. Imagine if they had done more…

Rumple smiled and he climbed under the covers with her, having no problem with snuggling up to her right away, wrapping his arms around her. "Yeah, me too," he said softly, nuzzling her cheek.

Turning over on her side, Belle curled into him with her back to his front. Since they were naked, she could feel his privates resting up against her bum and she couldn't help but blush yet again. This was all so new to her, but she tried not to think about it. And he was right about how warm it was despite the weather outside.  
"Mm…your bed is so comfortable, and warm. I don't think I'll ever want to return to my bed again," she mused.

He smiled softly and nuzzled her, breathing in the scent of her hair. "….Maybe if we were to get married you could stay up here with me in the mountain…"

Belle's eyes had fallen shut and she was quickly drifting away. She heard him, but she was so warm, so comfortable, that she could barely form words.  
"Mmm-hmm," she kind of agreed. "As long as we're together…"  
Her words were light and barely audible.

He kissed her head and held her close as he slowly fell asleep after her. For once he had good dreams, filled with Belle, of Christmas, of a family with Belle… And then they abruptly turned to nightmares, of his father, of drowning, and he screamed and shot up in bed, crying, and shaking.

The screaming woke Belle up almost instantly and at first she had no idea where she was, having not been used to sleeping away from home.  
But then she turned and saw Rumple-her Rumple-sitting there crying and looking so broken.  
"Rumple, sweetheart…" She reached over to put her arm around him. "What's wrong?"

He turned to her and he clung to her, like his life depended it and he cried into her shoulder. "He… He was trying to drown me," he sobbed. "He wasn't going to let me up this time…"

He…drown…Belle knew Rumple was talking about his father. He must have been having a horrible nightmare and since it had to do with drowning, she felt horrible once again because it was probably her fault it was even on his mind to dream about in the first place.  
Wrapping her arms around him, she tucked her head next to his and began to whisper to him soothingly. "Shhh…Rumple. It's okay. You're here with me, Belle. You're safe. Nothing to worry about…"

He cried into her hair for the longest time before he finally calmed down. "…I'm sorry… I'm sorry you're stuck with me… I don't deserve you, you deserve someone so much better than me, so much better than a broken man with no future…"

"What?" Hearing that made Belle angry and she pulled back to look at him sternly. "You listen to me Rumplestiltskin. By no means am I stuck with you. I CHOSE you, because I want to be with you. There's no better man for me than the one sitting right here." She reached forward and brushed a stray piece of hair out of his face and smiled softly. "You may be broken…but you're still good, yes still good."  
She planted a kiss on his forehead. "And who's to say you have no future?"

Rumple looked at her, shocked by her perfection. He didn't deserve her, not in the least. Tears filled his eyes again and he hugged her close. "Now I really don't deserve you," he whispered and he kissed her neck.

"Please don't say that Rumple. You do deserve me and so much more. You're a good man with a good heart and I love you."

"I love you too," he said, and he sighed. "…Let's go back to sleep. We have a long day tomorrow."

Belle relaxed back down and snuggled into him. She had been sleeping so peacefully until he woke her -which she wasn't angry about.  
She wondered if he had frequent nightmares, but she didn't want to ask and upset him any more than he already was.  
"Goodnight, Rumple," she whispered, ready to drift off once again.

"Goodnight, Belle."


	15. Chapter 15

The remainder of the evening Rumple woke up several times, just as he always did, but he made sure not to wake Belle again. She was sleeping so peacefully that in pained him to disturb her.

In the morning he got up early and got dressed in some casual clothes before he headed to the kitchen to make breakfast for the love of his life. He still couldn't believe that this was all real and that there really was a beautiful, sweet, and loving woman in his bed.

Rumple decided to make eggs in a basket that morning along with chopping up some fruit, spreading some jam on toast, and pouring a glass of orange juice. He placed everything on a tray and carried it to her, hoping the smell would wake her up.

Belle stirred a little bit, but only to roll over. Now that he had vacated the bed, she had migrated to the middle and curled up in the mountain of pillows of the most comfortable bed she had ever known. She was still sound asleep when he walked in.

Rumple chuckled when he saw she had moved and he placed the tray on the bedside table before gently shaking her shoulder. "Belle, my sweetheart, wake up," he cooed. "I made breakfast…"

Belle groaned just a little before her eyes popped open and she instantly remembered where she was. Turning over on her back, she smiled brightly up at Rumple. "Good morning…" And then she smelled something wonderful and turned her gaze away from him to see the tray of food. "What's all this?"

He smiled and placed the tray on her lap. "Breakfast for both of us," he said. "My favorite, eggs in a basket." He sat next to her on the bed so they could share.

Belle adjusted the pillows so that she could sit up and she fixed them for Rumple as well. "Thank you," she said as she looked at the food. "Everything looks delicious."

"I'm glad, I made it myself," he said as he took an egg and began to eat. "No magic."

Belle flashed him a sweet smile before diving in. And she practically devoured her half in no time. Not only was it good, but they had skipped dinner the night before to engage in other activities. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until she looked over to see that Rumple was nowhere near finished.  
She smiled bashfully. "Apparently I was hungry…"

"I can see that," he smiled and he took another bite of his food when something occurred to him. "Hey… Merry Christmas Eve…" Today was Christmas Eve and the town party. Today he was going to have to show his true face in front of the whole town and already he felt terrified.

"Merry Christmas Eve to you too," she replied, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek.  
"How are you feeling about the party this evening?"

He sighed softly. "…A little nervous. I don't know how they'll all react…"

"That's understandable," she told him. She reached out and squeezed his hand. "But I'll be there with you the entire time and even though they might be reluctant at first, once they get to know you they'll see the kind, gentle man that I see."

"…You promise?" he asked softly, squeezing her hand. "You promise that….that you'll be there for me?" He was putting so much faith in her, after what had happened all those years ago on the stage, he had no one to turn to, no one who would help him and it was very difficult for him to trust anyone, even Belle. However, he was trying.

"Rumple, I promise. I'm not going to humiliate you like that girl did all those years ago. I truly care about you."  
She remembered the girl's name was Cora, but she didn't want to say it out loud. She wondered if it was the same Cora, Mayor Mills' mother. Probably not. "There is one thing though…"

"What? What is it?" he asked, concerned and scared, his voice getting. She wasn't backing out was she?

She cleared her throat. "My father…he's going to be at the party and he's expecting to meet you," she explained. "I had to tell him about us…I couldn't let him find out by surprise when we walked in this evening. It wasn't fair to him."  
Oh please don't let Rumple be angry…

He took her hands and sighed. "…Well I suppose I was going to meet him sooner or later," he said. "Let's just hope he won't rip me apart when I do, yeah?"

"Please just be on your best behavior. He's already weary of you…" She hated telling him that, but he knew what everyone in town thought. She wasn't going to tell him about the fight though. "But I know once he sees you for who you really are, he'll love you."

"I'm not so sure about that, but I'll behave," he promisedd. He kissed her hand and sighed. "…What am I even supposed to wear?"

"It's formal…but in my opinion all of your clothes are formal." All he ever wore was silk, velvet, and leather. His clothes were much fancier than the average person. "So whatever you would like?"

"Maybe you could help me pick an outfit?" he asked. Normally he wouldn't ask but he wanted to look his best for her and the town. Not to mention to make a good impression on her father.

"Certainly, but we should do it now. I need to go home soon. I have things to do before the party."  
She had to get ready herself and she still needed to work on Rumple's gift. Then of course she didn't want to worry her father more than she already had. She hadn't even checked her phone since she texted Ruby.

He sighed and nodded. He didn't want her to leave but he knew she had to… He cleared the tray away and went to his dresser, trying to figure out what to wear.

Belle stretched before she climbed out of bed. Once out of the covers, she shivered a little. She was still completely bare and while he was finding some choices for her to decide between, she put her clothes from the night before back on.

Rumple pulled out some shirts that were a little Christmassy, mostly just green, red, or gold. He set them up and looked between them. "What do you think?" he asked.

"You look really good in red," she told him. In her mind she pictured what she was going to wear so that he could match her. "Perhaps a gold vest with the red shirt?"

"Do I really look good in red?" he asked as he got out the golden vest.

"You look good in all colors-but especially red," she said with a smile.

He chuckled. "If you say so," he shrugged. He looked at the leather pants he always wore. "…Brown or black?"

Belle looked at them and had to think about it. "I suppose the black ones would look better, yes."

He nodded. "Good, then I have my outfit picked out…." he looked over at her and smiled softly.

She smiled in return and blushed ever so slightly. "So would you like me to come back here tonight? Or would you rather meet me at my house? Or somewhere else?"

He sighed softly. "I'll ah… I'll see you at the party," he said. "Um…. Maybe I'll stop by your house if you want…"

"Oh…" She sounded a little disappointed. "Did you not want to arrive together?"  
Was he planning on not going? Changing his mind?

"No, I would like to arrive with you…Just… Not thinking straight… Nerves, you know."

"I could come back here if you like…you could send Max for me?" That would also alleviate him having to meet her father at her home.

He cleared his throat and he nodded. "Yeah, I'll send him to get you. What time?"

"Well the party starts at seven, but we don't necessarily have to arrive on time…"

"Well if I don't arrive on time then they might think I'm not coming…" he said, twiddling his thumbs.

"Alright…then how about Max meets me around six? That would give us plenty of time."

Rumple took a breath and nodded. "Sounds good…." he said and paused. "…You promise that you'll be there?" He hated asking her this again and again but he just needed to be sure, that she wouldn't be like Cora.

Belle stood up and walked over to him. "Rumple," she started, placing her hands on his chest. "I promise you I will stand by your side all evening. I will not leave you stranded. I love you."

He gazed at her and he kissed her head. "…I love you too," he said softly. "And I want to trust you, so I… I'm going to try my hardest to pull myself together."

"I promise you, Rumple everything will work out. I know this is hard, but I will be there for you." She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him gently. "If you feel you can't handle it, we can always leave. You just need to try, okay?"

He nodded and he kissed her back. "OK… I'll see you tonight my love. You want to take Max back with you?"

"That would be nice," she mused. Much easier and quicker than walking. She didn't pull out of his arms just yet, looking up at him to make sure he was all right. She knew this was going to be hard for him.  
Leaning upwards she whispered softly, "And perhaps tonight-afterwards-we could try again…"  
Telling him that would hopefully give him something to look forward to, to prevent him from being as nervous.

He gazed at her and his heart swelled. He stroked her hair. "I look forward to that," he whispered before he leaned and kissed her lovingly. Oh gods he didn't want her to go…

Belle let the kiss last for a little while before she finally pulled back. "I'll see you tonight," she promised and went off to grab her shoes and jacket. If she didn't leave now, she knew she never would.  
The moment she was out of the bedroom, Max bounded up to meet her happy as could be.  
Belle laughed as he tried to jump on her, but she managed to push him away so he wouldn't accidentally hurt her. "Good morning Max!"

Max bounded up and licked her face. He barked at her as his tail wagged.

"I hope you slept well last night," she told him.  
"Rumple said you'd be willing to take me home?"

Max barked again and bounded around, saying that he would be happy to.

Belle collected her things, wished Rumple goodbye one more time, assuring him once more that everything would be all right, and then she let Max take her home.  
On the way down she worried how both her father and Ruby would react to her spur of the moment stay the night rendezvous. She knew Ruby wouldn't care much and hopefully her friend told her father enough to pacify him. She avoided her phone, fearing what missed calls or texts she might have.

Rumple watched the love of his life go and he knew that he didn't want her to, but he couldn't do anything about that. Not for a long while….

Max carried her down the mountain and to her house. Luckily Maurice wasn't home, but Ruby was.

Belle went in the back as usual, not caring this time if she was spotted, but she didn't want Max seen.  
As she passed through the hallway she intercepted Ruby coming out of her room. "Oh Ruby…hi…Papa's not home is he?" she asked hoping to gods the answer was no.

Ruby shook her head and hurried to her friend. "Tell me everything," she said excitedly as she grabbed her hand.

Belle's face immediately went red. Of course Ruby would want to know what happened. "Well…I stayed the night with him last night." Obvious, but true.

"Yeah I got your text, now what happened?" she asked and she pulled her into the bedroom. "Now was he rough or gentle? Did he tie you up? Did you guys go more than once? I need details!"

"Ruby!" Belle exclaimed, embarrassed more than anything.  
She swallowed and bit her lip. "We…um…never actually went all the way…"

"What?!" Ruby exclaimed in shock as her eyes widened. "You were there the whole night and didn't do anything?!"

"No, no! We did something! We just didn't do everything!" Belle quickly corrected her. She blushed and looked away again. "You know I've, uh, never been with anyone-well apparently he hasn't either-so we didn't exactly…um…know what to do…"  
Gods this was humiliating!

"You're kidding me right? Your dad never gave you the talk? You have a whole library in town and never once thought to do a little research? What on earth is wrong with you?" Ruby asked.

Belle glared at Ruby then. "If I'd known you were going to give me a lecture on this, I never would have told you anything!"  
She turned to leave the room.

"Belle! Ok I'm sorry," Ruby said, going after her and grabbing her arm. "Look it's just weird to me that's all…. He's a virgin? Really?"

Belle took a deep breath to calm down and she nodded her head. "He's lived up there on that mountain all alone for thirty years with no contact. It's not too surprising…"  
That was unless you were one of the people that believed he kidnapped women and had his way with them…

Ruby sighed and sat down in the bed. "….He came early didn't he?" She asked starting to smile slyly.

Belle looked at her, confused. "Came early? Where did he go? I was at his house all night. He didn't go anywhere…"

Ruby sighed and rubbed her face. "Oh my god you're so naive," she said. "Belle, did something white come out of him before he could be inside you?"

Belle nearly fell over when she said that and she began stuttering. She didn't want to tell her that!  
"Ruby! Do you really think we should be discussing this?" She was fairly certain her blush was permanent at this point.

"I'll take that as a yes," Ruby chuckled. "Belle it's fine, we're both girls, we can talk about this. How big is he down there anyways?"

"WHAT? I am NOT telling you that!"

"Belle c'mon, please!" her friend begged. "You spent the night with a man and not just any man, but the Dark One…I need to know!"

Belle took a deep breath, ready to give in and braved telling her friend a little more. "We both honestly didn't even know he was suppose to put that…um…his um…thing inside me. But he tried his finger and it felt good, but it was tight…so it's hard for me to picture him putting something of that size in there…"  
She knew it was probably the truth, especially thinking about the birth of a child, but giving birth was supposed to be painful. Wouldn't it be painful if they did that?

"Well it does hurt the first time but only for a few minutes," Ruby explained. "But it sounds like he is pretty big."

"I don't know!" Belle said frustrated. "It's the only one I've ever seen-I don't know what's big or small-I just know it looks like it would hurt."  
Oh gods, but how much? Would that mean she wasn't going to enjoy their first time? How was Rumple going to react if he felt like he was hurting her? He might cower away and refuse to be with her. She didn't want that.

"Well I could check for you…." Ruby smiled but it was obvious she was joking. "Just calm down Belle. You should start figuring out what to wear for the party. He is coming right?"

"Yes he is. And I already know what I'm going to wear," she told her. "I know it might be fancier than most, but I want to wear my mother's dress, the shimmering gold one. And I have such a pretty red cloak to match. I think it would be perfect."  
She really didn't care if she was overdressed. Rumple was the one she wanted to look good for, not the town.

"Are you sure about that dress? What it something happens to it?" Ruby asked with concern, knowing how much it meant to Belle.

"What could happen? I'll make sure to stay away from red wine or punch-anything that could stain it. Besides, I don't have too many clothes that would be appropriate for this event. What are you wearing? Are you going with anyone?"

"Um… I might be going with someone, if he shows up…" Ruby said, trying to play it off. "But I don't have anything to wear…"

Belle's eyes widened and she became curious. "Who is it?"

Ruby hesitated a moment, but finally spoke. "…Dr. Whale…Victor Whale, the doctor at the hospital…"

Belle's eyes widened. "But he's such a…" Womanizer is what Belle wanted to say. Dr. Whale had the reputation for sleeping with a lot of women and never caring for an actual relationship. And his reputation had mostly been proven to be trueBut she was dating the Dark One. She really had no room to judge.  
"What I meant was…have you been seeing each other? Is this serious?"

"Look he's not so bad anymore, he really likes me…" Ruby said, knowing what she had been going to say. "He's been coming by the diner a lot more often and he always talks to me…. He's really nice once you get to know him."

Belle nodded, this conversation sounding familiar. "Well I look forward to meeting him-when you're ready I mean."

Ruby nodded. "Well…. I need to get ready for work…"

"Granny's making you work today?" she asked with a frown.

"Only until the party starts," she said. "I convinced Granny to let me go. So I'll see you there?"

"Yes and Rumple-which by the way…what did you tell my father last night?" She needed to be prepared to face him when he got home.

"Uh I told him that you were staying out all night at a friend's house… Should I have said Rumple?"

"No! No! I wasn't sure if you told him Rumple or not. Did he believe you?"

"He gave me a funny look but that was it," she said.

Yep, Belle was certain he knew. "Thanks, Ruby. I'll see you tonight."  
She turned to leave the room, but paused poking her head back in when something that Ruby said earlier registered with her. "Ruby did you really ask me if Rumple tied me up?"

"Well I didn't know if he was into kinky stuff or not…"

At first Belle thought it was joke, but the look on her face gave way that she was completely surprised. "People actually do that?!"

"It's kind of a turn on sometimes," Ruby shrugged. "One of you is tied up and the other teases them or just gives them a really good pounding."

"Oh…oh…I don't need to know this…bye," Belle said, quickly retreating back to her room.  
That afternoon, Belle managed to put together Rumple's gift and she set it aside on the table to dry so it would be ready by Christmas morning. She was so excited to give it to him; hopefully he would like it.  
She then started getting ready, starting with her hair and makeup in anticipation of the night.

Rumple was in a panic while the hours crawled by. He was over thinking this whole situation and he ended up breaking a few things because he was in such a panic. He wasn't sure he could actually go through with this. Nevertheless when six drew near he sent Max to go get Belle and he put the red bow on him again.

When Max came to the back of Belle's house, he barked loudly to let her know he was there.

Belle had just finished getting ready a few minutes before six and she was worried because her father had still not come home. Hopefully he was okay and when she looked at her phone she was relieved to see his text that read he was still at work and would see her at the party. She had a sneaking suspicion that he was just avoiding her, but she let it go.  
When she heard the barking, Belle glanced out the back window and saw Max hovering near the tree line. She smiled to herself, especially when she saw the red bow around his neck. She hurried to get her purse and cloak.  
The dress she wore was absolutely breathtaking and fit her like a glove. It was long, extending all the way to the ground with a tiny train and it clung to her curves until just below the waist where it flared ever so slightly. The gold shimmering color was one she was sure Rumple would love, along with the fact the sleeves were off the shoulder giving him good access to her creamy skin.  
She also had a pair of gloves that matched, which extended all the way up past her elbows.  
The hooded cloak was beautiful too, made of red velvet and outlined in white fur. When she put it on and clasped it in the front, it completely hid her dress and was very warm too.  
Grabbing a pair of gold heels to match, she slipped them on and headed outside to meet Max, lifting the dress up off the ground as much as possible.

Max wanted to lick her face but he knew if he did that it would ruin her face powder. Belle was so sparkly and pretty he knew his master would want to see. The door opened automatically once they were at the top of the mountain and Rumple was pacing the dining hall. He had managed to get dressed, but he still looked like a nervous wreck.

Belle gracefully climbed off Max, straightening her dress and cloak to ensure they wouldn't wrinkle. She checked her hair too to make sure it hadn't fallen because she wore it all up in a tight bun on her head.  
"Thank you, Max," she said giving the wolf a kiss on the forehead.

Max barked again and they headed inside. Rumple didn't even notice as she came in. He was running his fingers through his hair as he muttered to himself, arguing with himself whether he should go or not.

Belle followed along behind Max through the hallways. As she entered the Main dining room she saw Rumplestiltskin on the other side pacing the floor nervously, acting panicked. "Rumple?" she called softly to alert him of her presence.

Rumple jumped when she announced herself and he sighed as he looked at her. He was practically on the verge of tears. "…Belle I don't think I can do this…."


	16. Chapter 16

Belle already knew Rumplestiltskin might try to back out and she had prepared herself for it. She took a few steps toward him, her heels clicking on the wooden floors and her gown rustling as it dragged the ground.  
She smiled assuring at him. "Rumple it's okay. I know you're nervous, but I'm here to be with you just as promised."

He sighed and hung his head as he took her hands. Trying to take his mind off of it he looked her over. "…You look beautiful…" he said softly. He couldn't really see her outfit because of the cloak, but she still shone with radiance. "Very beautiful…"

She smiled a little brighter. "You look very handsome in your outfit as well," she told him admiring the clothes they had chosen together. "Would you like to see my dress?" she asked, reaching for the cloak clasp.

"We should get going soon so I'll see at the party," he replied a little distant.

Belle nodded, feeling a little disappointed. She was excited about him seeing her dress, but he didn't seem to care very much. She told herself it was just the anticipation of what was about to happen, that's all. "How are we going to arrive? Are we walking or riding Max?"

"I was hoping we could arrive with magic, travel in style," he grinned.

Belle giggled. "If that's what you would like." She leaned forward and placed a kiss to his cheek.

He smiled and he held her close. "Shall we go now?" he asked softly as he kissed her cheek.

"I'm ready as long as you are."

He nodded and gripped her tightly as they disappeared in a puff of purple smoke. They reappeared just outside of the town. He had his mask in his hands, not knowing if he should put it on…

It took a second for Belle to regain her balance, still not used to this magic. When her eyes focused the first thing she saw was the mask. Gently, she reached over and touched his hand. "You can wear the mask if you would like, but when you walk in there with me, everyone will know who you are," she explained.

He looked at the mask and took a breath. "….I don't think I will wear it," he said and the mask disappeared. "No more hiding."

She squeezed his hand and smiled. She leaned up and kissed him softly. "We can go whenever you're ready," she said.  
From where they were they could hear the bustling and laughter of people and even smell all the delicious food. Belle was very excited and she hoped that Rumple would have a great time.

Rumple smiled at her and took a deep breath before they walked together to the party. His hands were shaking.

Belle kept a firm grip of his hand, making sure he knew she was there and walking at whatever pace he needed to.  
As they finally entered the town they passed by a few people on the streets, many on their way to the party as well.  
Some did not pay any attention to the two of them, caught up in their own little worlds, while a few stared, and others whispered. A few hurried away quickly, clearly frightned.

Rumple could feel the people staring at him he swallowed thickly. This wasn't helping… As they neared the door, he hesitated again. "Belle, no….I… I don't know if I can do this…" he said, his whole body shaking.

Belle pulled him off into the shadows where no one could see them. She placed both her hands on each side of his face gently rubbing in a soothing manner. "Hey, everything's going to be alright Rumple, you just have to make it through that door and it will be downhill from there. You can do this."

"I…don't…I don't know…"

Belle took a deep breath and continued to smile. "It's alright-if you'd really rather go home, then I would understand and I would go with you, but you've made it this far-I know you can do it."

He closed his eyes and let himself just enjoy her soothing touches. She was his rock, keeping him grounded when he wanted to run. He loved her with everything he was. "…I love you," he said softly.

"And I love you," she replied, smiling up at him.

He gazed at her and smiled softly. "You keep me strong, sweetheart," he said as he gently took her hands. "…Let's head in. Better now than never."

Belle nodded her head and led the way while he still had the courage.  
Grabbing the handle to the door, she glanced over at him, waiting for permission.

He swallowed thickly and he nodded. "Let's go," he said. He wasn't ready for this but he had Belle by his side. He refused to be that scared little boy anymore.

Pushing the doorknob in, the door opened to a hallway where a man stood checking coats.  
Belle lead the way inside, holding Rumple by the hand and walked over to the man to give him her cloak. The best way to go about this was to pretend everything was normal, even though the man was staring at Rumple in shock. He quickly cleared his throat and held out his hands for the coats.  
"Your robe, madam," he said.  
Belle nodded and slipped of the velvet cloak finally revealing the beautiful sparkling golden gown beneath, and handed it to the man.

Rumple didn't mind the man taking their coats, it was the larger crowd that he was worried about, he knew there were be more people that would see him soon. Rumple didn't have a cloak since they had traveled by magic and the cold wasn't bothering as much. Still, he didn't look at the man…

"Rumple?" Belle said reaching out for him again since he wasn't looking. "We can go now."

He took her hand and nodded. "Yeah, let's go," he said. "Lead the way."

And lead the way she did down the winding hallway and to the grand ballroom at the end.  
As they entered the humongous room Belle marveled at its size and beauty having never been in there before. The ceilings were three stories high and large white pillars surrounded it. On the far end was an array of large windows, leading out to a large balcony and the gardens. On one side of the room many people congregated, collecting food from the assortment on the lengthy table. Others were in the middle dancing to the Christmas song that the band was playing. Everyone seemed so carfree and content until… the moment they stepped in and people noticed who was there, the music halted and each and every soul turned to look at the mysterious Dark One that they had only ever heard about but not seen. The room was dead silent minus a few gasps here or there, seemingly waiting on Rumple to say or do something.

Everyone was staring at him. Every single person was staring at him. Him. His heart was racing, his breath was rapid and he was starting to shiver. He wanted to say something but he couldn't. He wanted to flee but he couldn't. His whole body was trembling, but he managed to reach for Belle's hand. Would she even hold his hand? Would she be there for him? Or would this be the moment she would reveal this was yet another cruel joke?

Belle knew he was going to panic; she had prepared herself. So when she saw him reach out for her, she didn't hesitate one second to grab his hand with both of hers and squeeze it tight. "I'm right here Rumple," she said softly.

She grabbed his hand. It felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders as he gripped her tightly. She was there for him; she loved him. Everything was true at last. He looked at her and smiled softly. He wanted to tell her that he loved her again, but there were people around. He turned to the crowed again and took a deep breath. "…Please, don't stop just for me," he said, his voice shaking a little bit but he had Belle by his side.

The crowd just looked shocked, almost amazed that he could even speak. But no one did anything, no one moved, no one spoke until the mayor stepped out, seemingly parting the crowd from the other side. "Well, well, well, the Dark One has actually decided to grace us with his presence." Her eyes turned to Belle and she had a wicked smile on her face. "The little bookworm actually pulled it off."

Rumple shook his head. "No, I came because I wanted to, not because she convinced me." he said. He wanted it to look like he was a lot stronger than he actually was to the people. Only Belle could know his weaknesses.

"Then why have you never come before if you…wanted to?" She put a lot of emphasis on the last two words and her tone sounded like venom.

"People can change their minds," he said. "But since the invitation was extended to me this year, I thought I should give it a try." He gave a nice flourish of the hands and then looked around. "Can't be much of a party if everyone is just standing around."

There was still dead silence. No one knew what to do or even dare move for fear that it was a trick. But Belle did.  
Stepping in front of Rumple she smiled brightly up at him. "I think these people need to be shown how to have fun and dance. Would you care to dance with me?" she asked, holding out her hand.

Rumple looked at her and he smiled as he took her hand. "I would be honored to." He walked with her to the dance floor and he looked at the musicians, expecting them to play.

They didn't immediately start the music, still in shock about everything that was happening. But as Belle and Rumple began the simple waltz, slowly the music started up again.

Rumple smiled at her as they danced. "I think we've given them plenty to gossip about for a while," he said as he held her close.

"I think we have," she agreed. She smiled and leaned a little closer to him, letting his take the lead. Slowly, other people began to resume what they were doing, but many were still staring-at both her and Rumple.

He did his best to ignore them and rested his forehead on belle's. "So far this seems alright," he said.

"Mm hmm. But how are you feeling?" she asked, concerned.

"Terrified and like I need to get out of here but as long as I have you I'll be fine."

"Well I'm not going anywhere," she promised him. "I love you."

"I love you too," he said. "Thank you for being here…"

"You're welcome." Without caring at all that practically the entire town was watching her, Belle leaned in wanting him to kiss her as he continued to sway her back and forth on the dance floor.

Despite that everyone was staring at them but he didn't care and he met her lips with a kiss. He was just glad she was willing to show him affection in front of others. "Now what do we even do at these parties?" he asked. "Just dance, drink, and stand around?"

"Well there is that wonderful assortment of food over there…are you hungry?" she asked eying the giant table near one side of the room.

"Food sounds lovely," he said. "After the song?"

"Yes, of course," she said, continuing to let him lead her. There was a quiet moment between them then before Belle broke it, changing the subject. "You…um…didn't say anything about my dress…"  
She had really been looking forward to what he thought about it, but so far no comments had been made. She understood; he was nervous.

"I told you earlier you look beautiful, that statement hasn't changed," he said. "You're always beautiful, no matter what you wear…. Or don't wear…" He winked at her.

She blushed at his last statement.  
"I love his dress, but I've never worn it although I've always wanted to. It was my mothers."

"It was?" he said softly. "Well it looks stunning…"

"Thank you."  
The music slowly began to change into a different song, and her and Rumple came to a stop. "Shall we?" She asked, indicating the table with food.

He nodded and held her hand as they went over to the table.

As they walked through the crowd, people stared and gossiped, all of them backing away from the couple to stay out of their way. Belle scanned the crowd, looking for her father-he had to be here by now. That was one thing she was nervous about: facing him.

Rumple looked over the table, eyeing all the little treats. He instantly went to the cookies. They weren't as good as the ones he and Belle had made….

Belle laughed at him for going straight for the treats. "Don't you want some real food first? Or do you just plan to gouge yourself with sweets?"  
There were so many delicious things: turkey, ham, vegetables, bread, cheese…

"The cookies don't taste as good as the ones we made, I don't like them," he grumbled and looked at the other foods.

"Well would you like some turkey then?" Belle asked as she picked up an empty plate.

"Sounds good," he said and they started getting food together. While they did, Maurice finally approached them and he tapped Belle's shoulder.

Belle turned around having a large smile on her face and when she saw her father, it faltered just slightly.  
"Papa!" She exclaimed. "Hi…" She cast a side-glance over at Rumple.

Maurice half smiled before looking at Rumple. Rumple put his plate down and he straightened. He held his hand out to her father to shake. "Sir…."

"Oh…" Gods Belle felt rude. "Papa, this is Rumpelstiltskin. And Rumple this is my father Maurice."

Maurice looked at Rumple for a long moment before giving him a very firm handshake. Rumple shook back and nodded. Maurice pulled away and looked at Belle. "So this is him?"

"Yes, it's him," Belle replied. Such a ridiculous question, like there was more than one Dark One in Storybrooke.

Maurice nodded. "Then I hope you enjoyed your night at his place because you'll probably be staying with him from now on, since I'm not sure I should let you back in my house again."  
Belle was in shock as she heard her father and had no idea what to say, but Rumple stepped in. "Sir, please, wait, I want you to know that I don't mean any harm to your daughter. She's a wonderful woman, she's…perfect. And I don't want her life ruined just because she's seeing me. And honestly nothing even happened last night. I love her, and I respect her."

Maurice turned back around to face Rumple and eyed him suspiciously. "And why should I believe you?"

"Because I respect your daughter, and I don't want to hurt her," Rumple said again. "I know that everyone thinks I'm a monster, but she sees something in me, I think you know Belle enough that she wouldn't make bad decisions and she wouldn't hurt you."

He looked sincere; he seemed sincere, but Maurice was still skeptical. "How do I know you haven't cast a spell on my daughter to make her think she loves you? How do I know you're not trying to place a spell on me right now?"

"Magic has a signature, a taste, a feel, a smell." Rumple explained. "If she or you were being affected by magic, it would feel like this." With the wave of his hand sparks flew up into the air and danced around them. There was a hum in the air and it smelled like spices and straw.

Maurice jumped, backing away a few steps, frightened the Dark One was about to hurt him or put a spell on him, but it was nothing but a smell, one that faded quickly.  
He glanced back and forth between Belle and Rumple. "You truly love my daughter?"

Rumple nodded. "With every bit of my heart," he said as he looked at Belle and smiled softly.

The sparks from the magic disappeared, but as Maurice watched Rumple stare at his daughter he could see a different type of magic, one that at one point in his life he knew all too well.  
He sighed heavily. "Perhaps I'm willing to give you a chance-a chance to prove to me that you are telling the truth and want what's best for her and treat her like she's deserved. If you can show me that, then I'll make my decision."

Rumple's heart swelled and he grinned at the man. "Thank you sir. You won't regret this, I promise."

"I hope not," he grumbled with a nod of his head.  
Belle stepped forward and placed a hand on her father's arm. "Thank you, Papa," she said before she reached up to hug him. "Thank you for understanding."

As Maurice hugged his daughter, Rumple half smiled and he went back to his plate, leaving Belle a few moments alone with her father. After a few minutes, Maurice left the two alone once more.

Belle knew her father was going to need some time to truly get used to this idea, but if he saw something in Rumple now, she knew there was hope.  
She promised her father she would see him again that evening and then chose a few foods to eat, following Rumple over to an area in the next room where tables were set out for people to eat.

Rumple sat at the table with Belle and he smiled at her. "So… That was uh…interesting…"

"Don't worry. My father will come around. He's just very protective of me." She smiled sadly. "I'm all he has…"

He nodded and he reached for her hand across the table. "It's good that he is. It means you're worth it."

Belle smiled modestly. She hated that she had such a good father and Rumple had not…  
Her father could appear uncaring at times, but it was just because he was upset. She knew he would have never thrown her out. He was just overreacting and worried. Thank the heavens he could see Rumple had been sincere.  
She ate some of her food and when her cup was empty, she stood with it in her hand. "I'm going to go refill my drink. Would you like more as well?" She offered.

"A drink would be nice, thank you," he said. He handed her his cup as well.

Belle gladly took his cup and made her way to the punch table. She hummed happily to herself as she refilled the glasses. So far the evening was going well.

Ruby suddenly ran up to her, dressed in a slinky black dress with a long bright red cloak billowing behind her. Dr. Whale was behind her smiling at how happy his date was. "Belle! I made it!" Ruby smiled.

Belle set the cups down so that she could hug her friend. "I'm so glad!"

Ruby smiled and hugged her friend in return. "So… Is your boyfriend here?" she asked, looking around.

"Yes-he's at one of the tables. We were eating. Would you like to join us?" she asked looking at Whale too, extending the invitation to him as well.

"Well, after a dance," Victor said. "I did promise her at least one dance, so lets get this over with…"

Ruby chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Life of the party," she smiled. "But yeah, we'll see you in a little bit."

"Alright." Belle grabbed her and Rumple's drinks and headed back to their table.

Rumple looked up at Belle and smiled. "I saw Ruby with you, is she not going to say hello?" he asked and he took his drink.

"She's promised to come over soon," Belle said taking her seat. "Are you doing okay?" She realized she had left him alone for the first time that night.

"Yeah, love, I'm fine," he said and he saw her concerned look. "Really, I'm ok."

"I'm glad. I really am."  
They continued to eat their meal enjoying the music and each other's company. Belle marveled at this room too which had the biggest Christmas on one side, decorated with ornate ornaments and lights.  
The whole atmosphere almost felt magical and for once she felt like she had a little Christmas spirit. It had to be because of Rumple-she was sure of it.  
When a lovely Christmas song began to play, Belle couldn't resist standing and grabbing Rumple's hands. "Come on, let's dance again!"

He chuckled and took her hands. "Well if you insist."

Belle practically dragged him out on to the dance floor, happy that he enjoyed dancing. She turned to face him, letting him take the lead.

He smiled and he pulled her close as they danced together. He was honestly having fun and he was constantly smiling…on Christmas Eve… She had truly brought out the best in him.

The dance turned out to be a coordinated one, but easy, where every once in a while the men would switch partners. Belle hadn't expected that and when she switched partners with a random couple she looked to Rumple making sure this was okay.

Rumple could see the concern on her face and after taking a deep breath he nodded at her. He could deal with switching partners, as long as he could go back to Belle afterwards.

The other women that ended up in Rumple's arms was very weary of him and seemed eager to getting back to her partner as fast as possible. They dance carried on and they switched a few more times, but just before Rumple was about to end up with Belle again, he had to dance with one more, one that he at first did not recognize.

"Why hello, Rumple," said the sickly sweet voice coming from a very familiar red head, dressed in a bright red gown with her hair pulled all the way back. It was easy to see she was wealthy and wore the most expensive dress at the party.  
Everyone in town knew her as Regina's mother.

Rumple looked at the woman he was dancing with, curious. "….Do I know you?" he asked. She looked so familiar… Almost like… "….Cora?" His eyes widened and his footwork faltered.

Cora snickered but managed to save the dance steps. "Yes, Rumple. It's been quite some time since we last saw each other. It's about time you ventured down from that mountain."

Rumple shook his head. "What are you doing here? What do you want?" he asked, going on the defense and releasing her. He wanted nothing to do with her.

"Relax," she said casually. "I'm here enjoying the party just like everyone else."

"Oh I'm sure you are," he growled and his magic started bubbling, his emotions getting out of control again."…I see you haven't aged well."

The smile on Cora's face didn't falter at all although on the inside she felt like she was going to explode. "Oh you don't mean that Rumple? Still angry about that little incident when we were children?"  
The next couple went to switch before Rumple could reply, but Cora stopped it, grabbing Rumple by the arm and dragging him out onto the balcony so they could talk with out being interrupted.  
Belle was being polite to her current dance partner and didn't immediately notice Rumple had left.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing? I have someone to get back to!" Rumple said as he tried to get away.

"I want to talk and I know it's not going to happen back in there," she told him, without letting him flee from her.

"What do you want?!" he snapped. "I did not come here for you and I would be happy if I never saw you again!"

"Oh Rumple? Really? You hadn't forgotten about that whole incident? We were only kids at the time. We didn't know any better. We're adults now. I've come to learn the error of my ways. I should have never humiliated you like that…"

"Yes, we were children. I was an innocent child, I trusted you, I thought that I actually had someone that cared about me. But now I actually have someone who cares about me. No matter how many years pass between what happened and now I am never going to forgive you. You made me afraid to come to town, you made me scared of anyone seeing me! This whole thing is your fault, so I am going to be staying away from you, and you stay away from me."

Cora wasn't ready to give up. "I admit what I did was wrong," she said. "I never should have done that to you. The two of us, we could have been so much more-quite the team. I realized that afterwards and I hated myself for it. I'm sorry Rumple." Sorry was not something one would normally hear from her.  
"We could easily start over. I could care for you-I could be there for you…"  
She placed her hand on his arm and moved closer to him slower and slower, backing him against the wall where he could not get away. "I believe I owe you something I should have given you all those years ago…" And just then Cora closed the distance and pressed her lips to his.

Rumple's eyes widened when she kissed him and instantly he shoved her away. "Get the hell away from me!" he shouted. "A ten year old's blind crush is not an invitation to tear me and Belle apart! I never want to see you again!" He glared at her and then he headed to go back into the ballroom to find Belle.

Cora still wasn't ready to let go and she ran after him, her temper flaring up now from being rejected. "You think that young girl could really love someone like you?" She yelled, causing the other people on the balcony to turn and watch the scene play out. "You're nothing but a freak! She's playing you just like I did when we were children!"

He swung around glaring at her furiously. "Belle loves me! She was here for me like you never were! And I'm not going to throw everything away just because you think you can get your claws on me to humiliate me again! Freak or not, I'm not that helpless little boy anymore and I'm not going to fall for your tricks!"

Cora chuckled in the most evil eat of manners. "You really think a girl like that who could get any man she wanted would chose you? She probably hasn't even let you do much more to her than kissing…" She looked him up and down. "What woman would want a shriveled up man like you all over them?"

His heart was breaking at her words but he couldn't let her get to him. "Well you acted like you did just a minute ago, that shows just how far your standards have dropped."

"I'm just angry you're rejecting me," she admitted. "My words before were sincere." She started walking towards him again, her hips swaying back and forth. "You need a real woman that can give you what you want what you need. Even if a little girl like her did decide to let you take her-she can't offer you anything near what I can…"

"Not even in your wildest dreams would I ever leave her for a whore like you," he growled. "Now I'm going back to the party, and I never want to see you again." He turned and he headed back inside, not even glancing back.

Cora stood there glaring at him as she watched him go, her fists clenched at her sides. No one rejected her! No one!  
It wasn't long before Belle realized Rumple wasn't dancing anymore and she quickly began to panic when she couldn't find him anywhere. Had he left? Why would he do that without telling her? Had something happened? Trying to remain calm she wandered around the ballroom looking everywhere.  
"Ruby have you seen Rumple?" she asked when she found her friend by the punch bowl.

Ruby shook her head. "Um, no I-I haven't," she said.

It was then a person Belle had not expected to be at the party walked up, sneaking up from behind her and grabbing Belle's shoulder. "Well hello there, and don't you look lovely? Oh, we match!" he said, pointing at the bright red coat and gold buttons he was wearing.

Belle jerked away and stepped closer to Ruby. "Gaston! You stay away from me!"  
One would think he would have learned his lesson from last time they met. Why was he still pursuing her?

"What's wrong, Belle? Can't handle a real man?" Gaston stepped forward. Ruby grabbed Belle's arm, ready to run.

"Rumple is more of a man than you'll ever be!" Belle yelled at him.

"Rumple, are you kidding? He can't even face a crowd of people, how is he a man? I bet he's too much of a coward to take you and show you how a real man treats a lady," he grinned from ear to ear.

"Gaston, please just leave me alone. I'm sure we both want to have a good time at this party and I'm also certain you don't want to end up a rose again!"  
Why was she accusing such things? Rumple wasn't here…he had left. Belle wouldn't be able to protect herself from Gaston, but he couldn't possibly try something in front of all these people. Taking Ruby's arm, she turned to leave.

"Hey!" he said and he grabbed her pulled her to him. "I thought you learned, you don't hide from me!" Rumple finally spotted Belle across the room and his eyes widened in fear when he saw who she was with. He tried to make his way to her as fast as possible, but damn people kept getting in the way.

Ruby was getting angry at the way Gaston was acting and she did her best to try and free her friend from his grasp, but it wasn't working.

"Back off, slut," Gaston said as he shoved Ruby away and he moved to kiss Belle.

"Gaston!" Belle exclaimed as she tried to shove away from him. She was not going to be kissed by this brute, especially after what he had already tried to do. So she did the only thing she could think of since she couldn't break free, taking her hand and slapping it across his cheek.

Gaston stumbled back just slightly, and then he glared at her, moving to hit her, when Rumple finally reached them and he grabbed Gaston, punching him across the jaw.

Gaston stumbled backwards from the unexpected blow, tripping on the tablecloth and landing on the table itself. The table, unable to hold his weight, snapped in two and he hit the ground with a loud thud and all the food and punch came crashing down on top of him, completely drenching him.  
The whole room had seen the entire scene and stopped what they were doing, including Maurice, who came over to Belle, putting his hands on her shoulders.  
"Belle? What's going on?" He looked over to Rumple for the answers since he was the one who had punched the brute in the first place.

Rumple was fuming, ready to snap at anyone. He glared at Maurice. "You truly are blind, all of you are blind, if you can't see when a woman is in trouble!" he snapped.

Maurice hadn't even noticed Belle was with Gaston or in trouble, because he was in the other room until he heard the commotion.  
Belle wasn't crying, but she was shaking pretty badly. "I told him to leave me alone," she explained to her father.

"This is why I hate coming down here, because you have all become so blind," Rumple growled at all the onlookers. "There are monsters all over who hurt people who are just like them. And yet when someone comes in and does nothing to hurt anyone, you call me a monster, and then you blame me when bad things happen!"

"Rumple, Rumple, sweetheart, calm down," Belle said, stepping forward and reaching for him to comfort him.

Rumple looked at her and sighed. He held her hand but it wasn't really helping his temper. "I'm fine," he said but it wasn't convincing to anyone or himself.

Belle knew he was not fine, but she wasn't going to call him out. "Here, let's just go outside, get some fresh air," she told him and tugged on his arm to get him to follow her.

He sighed and nodded and he followed her. Gaston was picking himself up off the ground and glaring at Rumple.

Belle didn't look back, nor did she care to. She concentrated on Rumple solely and took him out to the back balcony where there weren't any people.  
"Hey," she said to him softly as she turned to look at him. "Everything's okay, I'm okay…"

He looked at her and sighed, her gaze and the cold air calming him down a little. He gazed at her and he pulled her close, hugging her. "I-I was scared for you," he sighed, breathing in her scent.

"I know," she replied, hugging him tightly. "But I'm safe, here in your arms."

He sighed again, kissing her neck softly. "I really just want to go," he said softly. "Please?"

Belle sighed this time and nodded her head. "If you're sure…"  
They had been having so much fun and of course Gaston had to show up and ruin it. This had been a big step for Rumple though and he had managed to go through with it, so she definitely was not going to push him to stay. It would be nice to spend some alone time together on Christmas Eve as well.

Rumple nodded. "Yeah, let's go," he said softly. He took her hand and they headed to the door. Suddenly a little hand came up and tugged on Belle's dress. It was little Cindy Lou.  
"You came to the party!" the girl exclaimed, smiling wide. Rumple looked at her, remembering the girl from the park.

Belle turned around and smiled big. "Hi, Cindy!"  
She bent down and gave the little girl a hug. "Have you been here all night?" she asked, worried that the little girl had witnessed the confrontation between Rumple and Gaston.  
"Yes…but over in the kids room," Cindy replied, pointing across the way to another hall. She glanced up at Rumple, excited he was here. "Have you done everything? Danced? Ate? Did you see Santa!?"

Rumple stopped when he heard that Santa was here. "Santa…. He's here?" he asked skeptically. "I didn't know…. Uh, where is he?" He wasn't a little boy any more; he was far too big to sit on Santa's lap and ask for things for Christmas, but he would like to see him again…

"In the kid's room," Cindy replied. "Did you want to go see him?"  
Belle didn't mind at all, but she looked over to Rumple to see how he felt. Would he really want to go see Santa? Or would it bring back too many bad memories from before?

Rumple smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'd love to," he said. "Yeah, lead the way."

Excited that he agreed, Cindy took both Belle and Rumple's hand, leading them down the hallway to another room where many of the children were playing.  
There was music there too-lively Christmas songs that the children were enjoying. In one corner there was a craft station and games and in the very back near yet another large Christmas tree where the big jolly man sat underneath.

Rumple looked around the kid's corner. It was a good idea for the children to have their own place to play where the adults couldn't bother them. When he saw Santa he paused and just had to look at him…

Belle felt him freeze and she began to worry. Gently she tugged on his arm. "Rumple? Are you alright? If you don't want to do this I can go with Cindy…"

Rumple swallowed thickly and he shook his head. "No, I… I want to," he said softly. "I'll be alright." He gave her a reassuring look. "Really."

Belle nodded her head. "Alright, let's get in line." She looked down at Cindy. "Have you already met him?"

Rumple smiled softly. Cindy shook her head. "No not yet," she said. "He just got here a little while ago."

"Great, then we'll all go together."  
As Belle stood in line with Rumple and Cindy, she couldn't remember the last time she went to visit Santa. It was when her mother was still alive, she was sure about that. Even after she found out the truth, her mom still insisted she go to keep the magic alive.

Rumple stood with them, rather excited for some reason. Just to see the man who had been so kind to him when he was a boy, it was exciting….

When they got to the front of the line, Belle looked down at Cindy. "Would you like us to go up there with you or do you want to go alone?"

"Come with me!" Cindy said happily.

Belle chuckled and took the little girl's hand, helping her up the few steps. She looked back at Rumple to see if he was coming too.

Rumple smiled softly and he went up with her. As he looked at the Santa however, something was… different…

Santa smiled up at all three of them, greeted them, but focused his attentions mainly on little Cindy. "Well hello, little girl. How are you?"

"I'm good!" Cindy smiled and she climbed onto his lap. Rumple was confused, his voice sounded different too…

"That's great," Santa replied.  
"These are my friends, Belle and Rumple," Cindy replied.  
Santa glanced up at Rumple slightly wearily, but he kept the smile on his face to stay in character. "Nice to meet everyone!"  
Belle smiled back at him and greeted him too.

Rumple couldn't even nod in greeting. This wasn't the same man that he had met, this wasn't Santa. Why was an imposter giving these children hope? Rumple just stood there, staring at this fake Santa…

The Santa was getting a little nervous with the Dark One watching him, but he managed to hold it together. "What would you like for Christmas?" he asked Cindy.

Cindy began to list off things that she wanted her family to have, but never once said anything about what she wanted for herself.

The Santa smiled at her. "But what would you like for yourself?" he asked.

Cindy shook her head. "I just want everyone to know what Christmas is really about…" she said.

Belle could not help but smile big when she heard that. Although she truly didn't know the meaning of Christmas, she was glad to hear that Cindy understood it wasn't just about gifts and getting.

Santa was a little confused, but he nodded and wished Cindy a Merry Christmas before letting her go. Rumple just kept staring at the man who thought he was Santa. Why was this happening?

Belle could feel the uncomfortable atmosphere and she wondered if this really was a good idea. She assumed it had to do with Rumple's memories resurfacing. Trying to stay positive though, she looked at Rumple. "Rumple is there anything you'd like to ask Santa?" she questioned with a smile.

Rumple glanced at her before looking back at the imposter. He did have a question. "….How could you do this?" he asked, getting angry. "How could you come dressed up as him and put false hopes into these children? How can you live with yourself?! You don't even look like him!"

Oh no…at first Belle didn't understand what he was talking about it and then it dawned on her…Rumple didn't know the truth about Santa! How had Belle never realized this before? She should have-he had had only one encounter with Santa and no one had ever been around to tell him otherwise. But why hadn't he figured it out himself? He was very smart.

Some of the children stopped what they were doing and started to look at what was going on. Belle had to act fast to avoid a very large fiasco where all the children in the town learned at the same time that Santa wasn't real.  
Instantly Belle grabbed Rumple and began to try and pull him away. "Rumple…calm down…come with me. We need to talk."

Rumple glared at the imposter as he let Belle pull him away. "What the hell is this?" he growled. "Why isn't he here? Why is that imposter here instead of him?"

"Rumple hush!" Belle demanded as she heard some of the children start to question what Rumple was saying. She tugged harder on him to drag him out of the room as fast as possible.

"Belle what is wrong with you?!" he asked as he followed her out despite trying to tear away from her. "What is it?!"

Belle took him all the way into a darker corner and made sure there were no other children around. She looked up at Rumple sympathetically. "You really don't know do you?" she asked softly.

"Don't know what?" he asked. "That people are rotten liars and give everyone false hope? I already knew that!"

Belle shook her head. "No, not that. The truth about Santa Claus." Belle took a deep breath. Oh why did she have to be the one to tell him this? She had tried so hard to get Rumple to enjoy Christmas and everything just seemed to be against her. "Rumple he's not real."


	17. Chapter 17

Rumple stopped, staring at Belle with wide eyes. "…No…" he said, in disbelief. "No, I-I met him…"

Oh gods. He was going to take this harder than she thought. "No, Rumple. You met someone dressed like him, just like today," she explained.

Rumple shook his head. "No, Belle, that's not him, but I know I did meet the real one when I was a child...I know it was."

Belle shook her head. "I'm sorry to tell you Rumple. Santa isn't real. He's a figure made up for children to get them excited about Christmas. I guess since you didn't have a normal childhood you never really learned this…" She hung her head sadly.

He shook his head again. "No…. No!" he said. His heart was breaking and he was getting angry. "No, this is not happening! Why?! Why would you tell me this?!"

"Because I couldn't let you keep getting angry at that man in front of all those children!" Belle told him. "I didn't want you to break their hearts and reveal it to them! I didn't even realize you didn't know Santa wasn't real!"

"But…. He is real! He-He gave me hope as a child, and… That whole time he was a fake?!"

Belle didn't want to admit to him that was the truth. This was breaking the love of her life's heart and she hated it more than anything. So she couldn't get any words to form; she couldn't answer him, but the sad sympathetic look on her face told him all he needed to know.

He could read the look on her face and still he shook his head turning away from her, running his fingers through his hair. He suddenly threw a punch to the wall, leaving a noticeable dent. "I hate Christmas!" he yelled.

His little outburst was unexpected and caused Belle to jump. He was very angry, she could see that and she didn't want to do anything more to upset him. "I'm sorry, Rumple…maybe we should go…"

He sighed and he rested his forehead on the wall for a long moment. "…Yeah… Let's go…"

Belle reached out to grab his hand when she heard some sniffling coming from behind her. Turning around to see what it was she saw Little Cindy standing there with tears in her eyes. "Santa isn't real?" the little girl choked out. Apparently she had heard the whole conversation.

Rumple looked down at Cindy and his heart ached for this little girl. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself before he slowly kneeled down in front of her. "Hey… I'm sorry," he said softly. "I just found out too…"

Cindy began to cry a little more, wiping her eyes with her fists. "It's not true, it can't be true!"  
Belle's heart was literally breaking watching this scene. She hadn't known Cindy was standing there. The little girl must have followed them….  
Belle bent down next to the child and pulled her into her arms. "Hey, it's going to be alright," she cooed.

Rumple's heart broke and he sighed softly. He wrapped his arms around both of them and held them close.

Cindy continued to cry, still in denial. Pulling back just a little, Belle took her hand and tilted Cindy's face up to look at her. "Hey, like I said everything will be alright. Santa is real, in spirit, if you just believe he's real in your heart." She reached down and touched her own heart before touching Cindy's.

Rumple looked at the woman he loved, she truly was a miracle. She would make a wonderful mother, she really would…

Cindy calmed a little bit. "You really believe so?"  
Belle smiled big. "I know so."  
She hugged the little girl one more time before she bopped her nose lightly. "Now can you smile for me? We can still have a great Christmas you know…"

Cindy gave her a small smile and nodded. Rumple smiled as well, relieved they had calmed the child. "Ah well… Belle, we should get going," he said softly, ready for this night to be over.

Belle nodded over in Rumple's direction. "Now are you going to be okay?" she asked Cindy. She didn't want to leave her if she was still upset.

Cindy nodded. "Yeah…" she said. "It'll be our little secret."

Belle smiled up at the child and stoked her hair. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way."

Cindy shrugged. "It's ok," she said.

Belle felt so horrible for leaving her now; she got the feeling she felt lonely. But then there was Rumple-he was having such a hard time too. What could she do?  
Belle hugged little Cindy again before standing and stepping over to speak to Rumple in a low voice. "I would like to offer to take her to get a treat or to dance before we leave to cheer her up. I hate to leave her like this-especially when this is our fault."," she told him, praying he would be okay with it.

He nodded, begrudgingly, but he did agree. "Yeah, we can do that."

Belle smiled at him before leaning up and kissing him on the cheek. She mouthed thank you, before turning back to Cindy. "Would you like it if Rumple and I took you to get a piece of cake or perhaps to dance?"

"I like cake…" Cindy said. "But the kids don't dance with the adults."  
"Well the Dark One isn't allowed at parties, yet here I am," Rumple joked with a loud giggle. "So how about that dance?"

Cindy smiled big then and nodded eagerly.

Belle took Cindy by one hand and let Rumple take her other and together they led her into the grand ballroom where every one had resumed going about their business.

Rumple smiled at Belle and Cindy. He then turned and bowed to the little girl as a new song started, and she nodded and curtsied. He led her to the dance floor and let her stand of his feet as they danced.

Belle watched the two of them from the sidelines. Her heart warmed so much seeing how wonderful Rumple was with that little girl. It made her imagine what it would be like if they had a daughter of their own. He would be such a wonderful father and she knew it would make him so happy.

Rumple was having a lot of fun dancing with Cindy, but he also couldn't help but think about a daughter, a daughter from him and Belle… While he was dancing, Margery and Esther spotted Belle and they went over to her. "Well hello there!" Esther greeted.

Belle turned to the voices calling her and she beamed when she saw the two women she had spoken with in the craft shop.  
"Hi!" Belle greeted with a smile. "I was wondering if you two had come."

"A little late, but here we are!" Margery said.  
"So did you convince our Rumple to come down here? Where is he?" Esther asked.

Belle nodded and just smiled as she turned and pointed out to the dance floor where Rumple was still dancing with Cindy. It was easy to see she was having a great time, laughing and smiling.

Margery smiled wide. "Look at him, he's so grown up…" she said. Esther had covered her mouth and tears filled her eyes.

Belle couldn't help but smile at their reaction. She was just worried how Rumple would react when he saw them. Would he be happy or angry?

The song finally ended and Cindy gave Rumple a big hug. Rumple smiled and hugged her back. Cindy waved to Belle before she ran back to the kid's corner. Rumple looked up and the smile instantly drained from his face….

Belle waved and smiled back at Cindy, but when she saw Rumple's expression her smile faded.  
"Excuse me ladies," she said, running over to Rumple before they could.  
"Hey…" She said softly.

He barely glanced at her. "What are they doing here?" he asked. "How are they even still alive?"

"They came to the party like everyone else and Rumple you knew they were alive…"  
After all she had told him about speaking with them and finding out the truth.

He sighed and rubbed his head. "I don't want to see them," he said, shaking his head.

"But they're so excited to see you," Belle reasoned. "And they really do care for you, I can tell."

"Then why the hell didn't they care for me when I was living with them?" he growled.

Belle shook her head. "You know I can't answer that…"  
She only knew what he had told her and nothing more.

He sighed and rubbed his head again. He looked over at the women he had spent 4 years of his life with… He looked over at Belle and held her hand. "….We say one quick hello and then we're gone, ok?"

"Yes, of course." Belle had already planned on leaving, then again they had been planning that for quite some time now and it didn't seem to be working.

He nodded and they headed over to the two women. Before Rumple could even say a word Esther suddenly hugged him close and cried softly, whispering she was sorry over and over.

The moment Esther pulled away, Margery was hugging him too doing the same thing. "We worried about you every day….we're so glad you're alright!"

Rumple just looked at the women, emotionless and trying not to snap at them. "Well it's good that you still thought of me…." he said in a flat voice.

"Thought of you? Yes we thought of you every day…" Esther said.  
"We tried so hard to get to you to, for so long, but you kept us away with your magic…" Margery added.

"Well I didn't want to have visitors," he said. Looking at Belle, he was silently asking for some sort of help.

"And I just accidentally wormed my way into his life," Belle added as she stepped up to him and linked her arm in his. She turned her head to smile up at him. "But Rumple and I were just about to leave…"

Rumple nodded and the women looked disappointed. "I see," Esther said and she took Rumple's hand. "I do hope that… That you'll come and visit sometime?" Rumple hesitated. He really didn't want to be around these women, they had locked him away, told him he was unfit to be seen and never let him live any sort of life… But he could see in their eyes that they really were sorry, so he slowly nodded.

Belle squeezed Rumple's arm before reaching out to take the women's hands. She smiled at them. "It was so good to meet you…and Merry Christmas."

"It was good to see you again, both of you," Margery said. Esther nodded and they both hugged the two of them.

Belle hugged them back. Hopefully Rumple would agree to see them again. He had her now which was great, but she knew it would be good for him to have more, to have a family.

Rumple turned to Belle and half smiled. "Ready to go?" he asked. He didn't see Gaston approaching. Along with Cora watching smugly.

Belle nodded her head and reached up to press a gentle kiss to his lips. "Yes, let's go."

He smiled at her and took her hand, turning to leave, when they saw Gaston blocking their way. "We have unfinished business," the brute growled. Rumple looked up at Gaston irritated and impatient.

Belle rolled her eyes. Would this man never give up? "Gaston, please. I think you've caused enough trouble," Belle told him as she tightened her grip on Rumple.

"You need to leave, now," Rumple growled.  
"You can't play the tough guy card now, not when everyone knows that you were raised by the town crazies," Gaston smirked.

"What do you want Gaston?" Belle demanded to know. "Because if it's just me you're after then that will never happen whether I'm with Rumple or not!"

"You would rather be with this child instead of a man?" Gaston laughed. "The guy didn't even know that Santa wasn't real!" Rumple was getting angry but at the same time, he knew it was true….

How did Gaston even know that? He hadn't been in the room when that happened. "You're no man Gaston! You're nothing but a brute and bully. Id rather be with anyone, even alone before ever being with you!"

"Oh shut up, you whore!" Gaston snapped. "It doesn't matter what you want! All that matters is that everyone knows what a sniveling little coward this man really is! This powerful Dark One is still a child, with stage fright, and dresses like a buffoon!"

Gaston's words were harsh, but Belle was not going to indulge him and give him exactly what he wanted. She tugged on Rumple's arm. "Come on Rumple, let's just go."

Rumple couldn't move, he was standing there, frozen in his fears and thoughts. Gaston was right, all if it was true… Gaston laughed. "Look at him, trembling!" the brute laughed.

Belle could sense something was wrong and she moved to face Rumple, putting her hands on either side of his face, trying to coax him to look at her. "Rumple, sweetheart. Look at me. Don't listen to Gaston. He doesn't know his fingers from his toes. Just ignore him and let's go home."

Rumple was trying to do something, anything, but all he could think about was being on that stage, everyone staring at him, calling him a monster…. Gaston laughed again. "Maybe some water will wake him up," he said as he grabbed a bucket of water from Cora, and he dumped it onto Rumple's head, dousing him. Rumple screamed and stumbled back, stepping on Belle's dress and ripping it accidentally. Everyone in the ballroom began to laugh.

Belle gasped at the unexpected action and for a brief moment everything seemed to move in slow motion. Gaston had done the same thing to Rumple that had happened to him as a child…but how did he even know about that too?  
Honestly in that moment it didn't matter. She had to think about Rumple and his feelings and at first she didn't even notice her ripped dress.  
Instead she was at Rumple's side again, gabbing onto either side of his arms. "Rumple, please, let's go. Just use your magic to get us out of here," she begged.

Rumple had his head buried in his arms; he didn't even look up. All he could hear was everyone laughing at him…staring at him. His magic began to bubble in his blood and suddenly all of the Christmas trees that were decorating the room were on fire causing people to jump up and start screaming. Rumple looked around, not even seeing Belle, looking at what he had done. In that moment he was still that scared little boy on the stage. But now, now he could teach these people a lesson. He grew angry, and conjuring a fireball he launched it into the crowd, burning the floor as people got out of the way. All the food and gifts caught fire too. The musical instruments the band was playing suddenly fell into a million pieces. He hated Christmas. He hated it!

Belle fell backwards as Rumple grew out of control, but she quickly regained her balance. She was frightened and this reminded her of the time he freaked out on her-but he wouldn't hurt her. No he wouldn't hurt her.  
"RUMPLESTILTSKIN STOP!" She exclaimed as she dove toward him to grab his arm and pull him away. "STOP THIS NOW!"

He yanked his arm away from her and he glared at her. She had caused all of this. If she hadn't come up to the mountain, none of this would have happened. "This is all your fault!" he snapped. The instant he said that his heart broke, it was obvious in his eyes. He then disappeared into a puff of purple smoke without taking her with him.

For several moments Belle just stood there staring at the spot Rumple had stood, watching as the purple smoke dissipated and he was there no more, her mouth hanging open in pure shock. She couldn't se anything else or hear the cries of everyone around her.  
Slowly she sank down onto the floor and began to cry softly and sadly, feeling as if her heart had been torn from her body.


	18. Chapter 18

Maurice and Ruby ran to Belle's side, and together the convinced her to stand and go home with them, leading the way through the chaos. Ruby drove as Maurice held his daughter close, comforting her. Once they were home Maurice tried to get Belle to go to bed.

Belle was practically numb after what just happened and she barely even noticed how her father and best friend were helping her.  
This was her fault, yes it was. Rumplestiltskin had had such horrible experiences with Christmas and all she had done was convince him to come to the party just so they could be repeated. It was likely she would never see or talk to him again and her heart felt like it had shattered into a million pieces. This was literally one of the worst nights of her life.  
Once she was coaxed into the bedroom, she couldn't even bring herself to change out of her ruined dress. She had chanced glance down at the very sizable rip, seeing it was beyond repair.  
It was upsetting that her mother's dress had been ruined, but she was more upset that she had ruined Rumple's life.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Rumple returned home, the first thing he did was scream and then began to throw things, not caring what happened to them. He punched the walls until his knuckles split, yelling incoherently, causing Max to even be a bit afraid. And then suddenly he just broke down, curling up on the floor and crying. Max had then tried to comfort him but all Rumple did was send the wolf away.

He then began to cry his eyes out, wishing that Belle was there with him, but he knew that she would never want to see him again after what he had done… He would never see the woman he loved again and he would probably die alone on the mountain… Christmas had been going so well, the dancing, the music, the food, Belle. And then everyone had to ruin it for him… Well if they could ruin Christmas for him, then he needed to find a way to ruin Christmas for them. After all they did deserve it…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Ruby came in a bit later with some peppermint tea for Belle. She sat on the bed with her. "Hey…. I'm sorry about what happened," she said softly.

Belle was lying there still in her gown, facing away from Ruby. Her face was swollen and red and it was amazing she had any tears left in her, but they were still flowing. "Please. I just want to be alone right now," she told her friend.

Ruby looked at her and gently rubbed her shoulder, putting the tea on the table next to her. "Maybe he'll come around," she said optimistically. "Just keep your hopes up…" She slowly left the room, leaving the door open just a crack.

Belle knew that wasn't true. He was probably going to hide up on that mountain for another thirty years or perhaps even longer. Maybe he would just move away entirely…  
That thought was unbearable to Belle and made her cry even harder. Hours of crying went by, but eventually she fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rumple had worked hard all evening devising his plan and how he was going to go about it. He conjuring sleighs and bags and cloaked himself to look like Santa. It took a lot of his energy and not to mention he spent half the night just throwing his possessions around and breaking them to try and feel better. Max was trying to calm him down, but it wasn't working. Hell, the wolf had even been dragged into this with a pair of reindeer horns on his head. Rumple waited until late at night to begin, when everyone was asleep. And when every last light was out in the town, using his magic, his sled flew through the air and down into town. If everyone cared so much about their damn presents, then he would just have to take them himself, see how everyone else liked to have what they wanted ripped from them.

He was surprised how easy it was, the sneaking in and staking all of the gifts, all of the ornaments and lights. He went roof to roof, taking anything and everything that could be even remotely related to Christmas. He stole the lights, the signs, the plastic santas, and other tacky yard items. He took the roast beef, the turkeys and all the cans of cranberry sauce. He stole entire trees, the garland, the stockings, and even the logs for the fire. His bag on the sleigh was growing bigger and bigger and he felt great about everything. This was all going so well, that was until he came to his next house and realized it was Belle's house… He hesitated, not knowing whether to punish her as well… She had been the one to drag him into all this, yet she had also meant well…Perhaps he could leave her presents and take everyone else's. He climbed down the chimney and began sorting, resisting the urge to go to her.

Belle's dreamless sleep quickly turned into one filled with nightmares. In those nightmares Rumplestiltskin was there, but he wasn't the Rumple that she knew. He was this crazed monster obsessed with revenge and his first target was her. In the dream he hurt her in ways she never thought he would and when it came to the worst of it she shot up in bed breathing heavily and sweating.  
It took her a few seconds to calm down and realize she was still in her room and none of it was real, although what happened at the party had been real. She sighed deeply and wiped a few crusty tears from her cheeks. She needed something to drink and the tea Ruby had left had grown cold.  
Willing herself to climb out of bed, Belle picked her dress up so she wouldn't trip over the ripped part which now dragged the floor.  
As she began to make her way into the other room she could hear some bustling around and just assumed it was her father still awake. She really didn't want to face him right now, but her mouth was so dry.  
However, when she stepped foot into the living room, she saw it wasn't her father, but…Santa?  
No that was impossible! Santa wasn't real! This had to be a burglar!  
She tried to retreat quietly from the room so that she could dial 911, but she ended up tripping on her dress anyway, sending her flying to the floor and making her presence known.

Rumple hadn't even heard her until it was too late. He looked up and he saw her falling and quickly he used his magic to get rid of the suit and conjure his normal clothes. Because he still loved her, and he ran to her side, trying to help her up and make sure she wasn't hurt. "Belle?"

Belle's eyes widened as she stared up at the intruder-the intruder that was actually her Rumple. She didn't take his hand when he offered it. All she could do was stare at him. "R…Rumple? What are you doing here? And why were you dressed like Santa?" This was all very strange…maybe she was still dreaming.

"Sweetheart, I think you're dreaming," he said softly. If he convinced her it was a dream then maybe he could get away with this.

Maybe she was dreaming-she had been having pretty intense dreams lately. She probably imagined him in the Santa suit. What was she thinking? Of course she was imagining it. Rumple hated Christmas and would never dress as Santa.  
"That doesn't explain what you're doing here."

"I came to apologize," he said softly, cupping her face. "I'm sorry for everything I did, I didn't want to hurt you… I still love you."

Belle just continued staring up at him in shock and amazement. But then her heart swelled and all she felt was relief. "I still love you too…and I'm sorry…"  
She looked away. "I know this is all my fault."

He shook his head and he pulled her into a hug. "No sweetheart, no," he said softly. "I was angry and scared, but it was not your fault. Never your fault."

"But it was," she sobbed into his shoulder. "I forced you to do something you didn't want to do even after you told me what happened before…"

"Belle you didn't force me. I chose to go, whether you went with me or not. It's not your fault."

Belle continued to cry softly. "I thought I would never see you again…"

He shook his head and kissed her forehead. "No, love. Never." He brushed a stray curl out of her face. "It's late, you should get to bed." He still had several houses to visit and he couldn't do that with Belle wide awake.

Belle sniffled a few times before looking up at him. "I was hoping to get a glass of water."

He nodded and conjured a cup of water to his hand, handing it to her. "Here," he said.

Belle smiled weakly and took the glass from him. "Thank you," she told him, before she drank the water down greedily until it was all gone.

He nodded and took the cup when he was done, putting it on the floor. "Come on, back to bed," he said softly as he helped her up. Hopefully she still thought this was all a dream…

When Belle stood to her feet she almost tripped over her torn dress, but with Rumple's help managed to catch herself.  
She looked down at the dress sadly. "My mother's dress…it's ruined…I can't repair this."

He looked down at the dress. "…I'm so sorry I ripped it," he apologized. "I know what it means to you… Let me fix it?"

Belle looked at him with hopeful eyes. "Can you?"

He nodded and with the wave of his hand, the dress stitched itself back together, leaving no trace that there ever was a rip.

Belle watched the magic do it's work with awe and when it was through she took the fabric and gently ran her hand over it examining it.  
"It's good as new," she commented.  
She smiled as she looked up at Rumple. "Thank you!" she exclaimed as she threw her arms around his neck.

Rumple smiled and held her close. He gently kissed her head and then he slowly led her back to bed. "You're welcome my love."

When they got back to her bedroom, Belle turned to look at Rumple with a very worried look in her eyes. "You're not leaving are you?" she asked, it clear on her face that she wanted him to stay.

"No sweetheart. I'll stay until morning, when you wake up." He had to agree or he feared he might upset her. The faster he could get her to sleep, the sooner he could go.

Belle visibly relaxed and grabbed his hands. After what happened she knew he would need her. He had been through so much and it was Christmas Eve, maybe even Christmas-she hadn't glanced at a clock.  
Leaning up on her tip toes, she pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

He held her close, kissing her back gently. He still did love her, truly he did. He just wished that he could make this better.

"I love you," Belle said in a quiet voice when she pulled back from the kiss.

"I love you too," he replied. He had to enjoy her right now while he could, because he knew soon, when she found out what he was doing, she would probably never want to see him again.

She hugged him close then, just wanting to be in his arms. She wanted to feel close to him to make sure he was there with her. She hated that feeling that he had left her and she couldn't bear feeling it again.  
When she released him she turned around to where her back was to him and she moved her hair out of the way. "Help me out of my dress?"  
She had fallen asleep in it once and didn't want to do so again. It wasn't the most comfortable.

He swallowed thickly and nodded. "Yeah…." he said softly and with shaking hands he gently undid the zipper. Oh gods… He needed to get going if he was going to finish ruining Christmas by morning, but now other thoughts were flowing through his mind.

"Thank you," she said when he was finished and turned around to face him in nothing but her undergarments. She looked up and down at his outfit. "Do you want me to help take this off?" She reached out for the buttons of his vest.

He swallowed thickly, thinking she meant to do more than just sleep. Maybe she did? Should he stay? He was so conflicted. "…Are you sure Belle?"

Belle dropped her hands and looked up at him confused. "Well, yes…I don't think this leather would be comfortable to sleep in." She eyed him suspiciously. "Or did you plan to leave once I fell asleep?"

He hesitated. "I… I hadn't planned on staying but… If you want me to…"

Belle frowned. She thought she had made herself clear that she didn't want to be alone. "I thought you agreed to stay until morning…but I must have misheard you…"

"No, I did," he corrected. "Sorry, just…. Nervous…"

Belle's smile returned. She placed her hands on his chest. "You don't have to be…not anymore. This isn't the first time I've seen you naked."  
Maybe he was uncomfortable because they were in her house and her roommate was just a room over and her father across the hall.  
"Would you feel better if we went back to your mountain?"

He half smiled at her remark but he shook her head at her suggestion. "No, it's alright," he said softly. "They can't hear us." With the wave of his hand, there was a spell on the room where anyone outside the room couldn't hear inside. Gods she was so beautiful. Just looking at her standing there in front of him was enough to make him forget why he was there in the first place. "I was hoping your offer from earlier still stood…"

Instead of answering him with words, she spoke with actions and kissed him softly on the lips. As she kissed him lightly, she coaxed him to turn around and sit down on her bed before she climbed up into his lap.  
Briefly she pulled back to speak before they got to into it. "I love you Rumplestiltskin. And I want nothing more than to be with you, to be close to you as one possibly could be. I don't want to ever lose you and I want you to prove that I would never betray you, that you mean more to me than anything."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Skip to next set of x's if you prefer no smut.**

He gazed at her as she sat on his lap, his hands falling to her hips. "I love you so much Belle…" he whispered. "I want you close too…" He gazed at her and kissed her deeply before he trailed kisses down her neck.

Belle moaned softly as he paid attention to her neck, cocking her head to the side so that he could get better access.  
Once again her hands went back to his vest and she unbuttoned it and removed it before her hands went to graze over his chest through his silk shirt.

He sighed happily, softly, as he came to her breasts gently cupping and squeezing them through her bra.

"Oh gods…yes…" Belle moaned. It was feeling good and that needy feeling was building fast in her. She couldn't stop herself as she began to rock her hips into his once again looking for that friction she craved.

He moaned softly against her when she started rocking against him. Gods, she was driving him mad. He pulled off his shirt and kissed her deeply, the tightness growing in his pants. He reached behind her and tried to undo her bra. He wasn't very good at it.

Belle slowed her movements so that he could have an easier time unhooking her bra. She knew this was new to him. She could help him, but she wanted to him to at least try so he could get used to it.

He managed to get the damn thing off, letting it drop. He gazed at her perfect breasts and cupped them again before taking one in his mouth.

"Oh…yes…oh…" Belle's head fell backwards as she just enjoyed the touches. It just felt so good, maybe even better than last time. Sparks were shooting through all her veins and her hips began to buck against him a little faster and harder. She could feel the bulge in his pants as it grew-his cock she reminded herself-and she decided he would feel better if she undid his pants so it wasn't so constrained.

He moaned against her and paid equal attention to both of her breasts, gods she was so soft and tasted like heaven… He felt her grinding getting more frantic. Slowly he laid her down on the bed, then climbed on top of her.

Belle looked up at him with a desperate smile as she reached out for him. She just wanted him and she wanted him now. Her core was aching, throbbing… "Rumple…please…"

He smiled softly at her as he slipped off her panties. He gazed at her, how utterly perfect and beautiful she was. "I love you," he whispered as his fingers slowly stroked her sex.

When he touched her Belle almost cried out, but stopped herself by biting her lip. She needed him. She wanted him and this was only making her more desperate. Her hips bucked up into his hand. The touch was wonderful, but it just wasn't enough-not this time. She needed more and she knew what that more was going to entail.  
"Rumple…" she begged again. "Please…I need you…"

He looked at her, still nervous. He kissed her gently. "You can call out if you want, no one can hear us," he said softly as he withdrew his fingers. With shaking hands, he started untying his breeches and pushed them off. His cock was throbbing, aching to be inside her. Oh gods, his was really happening…

Belle's first instinct was to reach out and touch him, but she stopped herself, remembering what happened last time.  
If they wanted to do this right, she knew that wasn't the best idea.  
So instead she reached up to pull him down on her so she could kiss him and feel his bare body against hers.

He kissed her and held her close. He may not have known entirely what he was doing but his body sure did. His cock was already at her entrance, throbbing and begging to go inside. He took a deep breath. "…You're sure?" he whispered, just making sure.

Feeling him down there practically made her go mad as her body bucked against him, trying desperately to get him to push inside her. That's what she wanted, yes, more than anything. "Yes, Rumple, yes, I'm sure," she told him. "I love you…"  
She spread her legs just a little more, preparing for him, but then she paused. "Rumple, wait…how…how are we going to prevent a pregnancy?"

He hesitated at the thought. "Maybe… Maybe I could use my magic? So it doesn't happen?" He was sure he was capable of that.

Belle nodded her head. "If you're sure it will work…" She paused. She was sure he wouldn't lie to her, but there was always a chance something didn't work out properly. "But if I do…get pregnant…you will be there for me won't you?"

"Yes, Belle," he said softly and without hesitation. "I wouldn't abandon you, I'm not like my father. I promise." He sealed his promise with a soft kiss to her lips.

Belle eagerly kissed him back. "I love you," she told him once more, looking at him and silently telling him she was ready.

"I love you too," he said softly. He once again positioned himself at her entrance, and slowly he pushed himself inside. He gasped and groaned at how it felt, so wet, so damn tight. It was the best sensation he swore he had ever felt.

Belle gasped loudly the moment he started to enter her and she bit her lip trying not to cry. It was hurting-she had forgotten Ruby said it would hurt-and with the size of him she felt dumb for not having remembered it. He wasn't going too fast either, but it was still very painful. "R…Rumple," she begged. "Slower…"

He instantly stopped and his heart broke when he saw her in pain, so close to tears. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'm sorry, I didn't know it would hurt…."

"It's okay," she said, managing to smile a little bit and reaching up to stroke his face. "It should only hurt this time and not any more in the future…"

He kissed her hand and sighed softly. "I'm sorry…" He whispered. "….Should I keep going?" He was already almost fully in…

Belle took a deep breath and nodded her head. "Yes, keep going," she told him. She wanted to get the worst of it over with so that she could enjoy it.

He swallowed thickly and nodded before he continued to push into her, moaning softly. He couldn't help it, she felt so good…

Belle hissed, but once he was already in, the pain began to subside as she adjusted to his size. It still stung a little, but the worst of it had passed. A few tears had slipped out and rolled down the sides of her cheeks, but she was relaxing now.

He kissed her tears away, his heart breaking as she cried. He felt terrible that he was causing her pain…. He was struggling to focus though, his cock twitched inside her, wanting more. Already it felt like heaven.

"I'm okay," she assured him as she smiled again, sensing he would be upset with himself. "This is normal."  
She bent forward and kissed him before relaxing again. She looked up at him unsure. Even though it had been painful at first her body was still craving something and she still felt worked up, but she was unsure what they were supposed to do. "So…um…is this all we do?" she asked wondering if he had any ideas. He felt absolutely amazing inside of her, much better than his fingers, but there had to be more…

He half smiled. "I uh, don't think so," he said softly. He looked at her and he slowly rocked his hips into hers and moaned at the intense pleasure that shot up his body. "Oh gods…." he gasped.

Belle gasped again when he did that, but this time it was because of pleasure and not pain. Yes, it still stung a little, but the intense pleasure he was causing in her was overwhelming enough to get her to forget it. Slowly she began to move her hips too, in a motion that met his and it made it feel even better.

He moaned again when she rocked her hips. Oh gods, she was wonderful. He moved again, and they started moving together. He couldn't stop moaning. She felt perfect, like heaven. "Oh Belle…" he gasped.

There were so many feelings, so much pleasure-it was so much to take in. Belle was feeling everything then and she was getting dizzy and lightheaded. And that thing was building again in her and fast. She was going to go over the edge soon, real soon. She moaned herself and began to call his name, grabbing at his back and gripping her nails into him lightly.

Against his own will, his hips moved faster and faster into her. He started calling out her name, gasping. He was in such pleasure and such bliss he couldn't even remember to put a spell to prevent her from getting pregnant.

"Yes, Rumple, yes…right there, there," Belle groaned as he hit a spot inside her that felt better than anything before.  
"Faster…faster…"  
She was ready to let herself go, to fall over the edge and enjoy that wonderful feeling that came when they were almost done.

He thrust fast and deep inside her, feeling like he was going to burst any second. He gasped and he kissed her, deeply, passionately. She was his everything.

Belle kissed him back at first, but it was so hard to concentrate on kissing him properly and she finally broke free from him to practically scream at the top of her lungs as the intense feelings of pleasure shot through her veins. "RUMPLE! OH MY RUMPLE!" She could feel her muscles contracting around his very hard member and she did everything she could to buck into him as she rode out the orgasm.

He felt her come apart and he thrust deep into her before he finally burst and spilled his seed deep inside her, not even thinking about prevention. He gasped and was practically screaming. "OH GODS, BELLE!" he cried as he filled her, and he poured into just a little longer before he finally collapsed on top of her, holding her close and resting his head on her chest, hearing her heartbeat.

Belle just lay there quietly holding him and gasping for breath. Once she was a bit more in control she just closed her eyes and put her head against his to just inhale his sent and enjoy the moment. "I love you, Rumplestiltskin," she whispered softly.

"And I love you Belle," he whispered, holding her close. "So much…" He had never been so relaxed in his whole life. For a moment, he was actually willing to forget about Christmas and just stay in bed with her and he almost did.

She kissed him on the cheek then the forehead and his lips. "That was so amazing…I never knew I could feel like that and to experience it with you…"

He smiled at her and kissed her softly. "Better than I ever imagined…Thank you…"

Belle took a deep breath and sighed happily, before she yawned. Her body felt incredibly exhausted now not to mention it was late at night. "And you're sure no one could hear us?" she asked knowing they both had been loud.

"Absolutely sure," he said. "They would have woken up and come storming in by now if they could." He saw how tired she was and though he wished he could join her in sleep, he had to go. He had to finish this. "Get some sleep my love."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Belle yawned again and nodded her head. She was especially tired now. She didn't bother putting any clothes on, even though it was much cooler in her home than at Rumple's, but she had Rumple there to curl up to and keep her warm.  
Letting him climb off of her, she curled up into his chest, pulling he blanket over the both of them. "Goodnight, Rumple. I love you…" She whispered.

He allowed her to curl up with him; he could stay for a little while longer. "Good night Belle," he said softly. "I love you too."

Belle sighed happily as she closed her eyes. She was already drifting off to sleep, but before she did she let "Merry Christmas" slip out of her lips, forgetting that he hated it so very much.

He gazed at her. He hated Christmas; he hated it all. But he loved his Belle, he loved her with everything he was, what they had done just proved that…. He wanted her to be happy. "….Merry Christmas," he replied.

Once she had fallen asleep he held her in his arms, conflicted. He knew he should leave, but for her maybe he could put his hate for Christmas behind him. With her, he could be happy…. That was, until he replayed what had happened to him as a child and just that day. No, he had to finish this.

When he was sure she wouldn't wake, he got out of the bed, dressed himself, gave her a soft kiss goodbye, whispered that he loved her, and headed out. He lifted the spell on her room and he finished taking all of the presents but hers. Giving one last look around the house, his heart ached because he was doing this to Belle. Still he pushed the thoughts away, left, and went on to the next house to finish what he started.

Soon, Rumple had done it. He had taken everything, all of the presents, all of the trees and the lights and decorations, everything… All except Belle's, but he didn't want to think about tha. Odds were, she would never want to see him again after what he had done…

After taking everything, he magicked him and Max and his sled back up the mountain, just as the sun was rising, and everyone was waking up…. He looked out upon the town, seeing the lights come on, and if he listened close, he could hear the screams and the cries of the people who learned that there would be no Christmas this year. He should have been happy, and a part of him was…. But it didn't feel as good as he thought it would.

When Belle finally arose from her slumber the next morning, She stretched and wiggled, reaching out for Rumple, but finding nothing but an empty spot in her bed.  
She sat up at first looking around the room. His clothes and shoes were gone. He was gone. She didn't even have to question it. He had left her again…left her on Christmas morning. After their declaration of love-after she proved it to him, he had still left.  
If she had had any more time to think about it, she would have been devastated, but the commotion outside distracted her, making her wonder what was going on and if he had truly used her and ran.  
Climbing out of bed, she put on a nightgown and robe and made her way into the living room. The first thing she noticed was some of her family's things were missing-the Christmas decorations, but not all of them. What had Rumple taken them? She was so confused.  
Some loud yelling outside caused her to put on her black flats and step out onto the porch.  
Some of the neighbors were running by, going toward the town and she rushed out to stop one of them. "Leroy, what's happening?" Belle asked.

Leroy looked up at her. "It's gone! All of the Christmas presents, the lights, the trees! Everything's gone! We think the Dark One did it! He stole Christmas!"


	19. Chapter 19

"Everything's gone! We think the Dark One did it!" Leroy's words echoed loudly in Belle's mind and she just couldn't bring herself to believe it.

"What?" Belle said as if she had misheard him. She grabbed Leroy by the arm before he could leave. "What do you mean? Everything everywhere? Where is everybody going?"

"We're going to see the mayor, see what she has to say, what she's going to do about that monster," Leroy said before he ran off. Others were following him, all in their nightclothes and some were crying while others were furious.

Monster…Rumple wasn't a monster. Not at all. He was just hurting, sad, and lonely-but never a monster.  
Belle's eyes wondered up toward Rumple's mountain. He was up there all alone right now with everyone's Christmas things.  
Her poor broken Rumple. He was taking this so much harder than he let her believe when he came to her last night. He had lived such a hard life and the party must had truly broken him. Why hadn't she seen it?  
Yes, it was wrong what he did, but she really didn't care. Christmas wasn't about presents…  
Her Rumple needed her now more than anything and her feet suddenly began to move as she sprinted in that direction. She didn't care she was barely dressed or how cold it was outside and that her feet felt like icicles. No all that mattered was getting to him-showing him that she was there for him and would always be there; that things didn't have to be this way. If they had to they would go away and she would make sure he knew she would go with him.

Unfortunately the quickest way to his mountain was straight through town. And as she passed through the center where the giant Christmas tree no longer stood, she heard everyone yelling at her, including Mayor Mills.  
"There she is!" The mayor screamed from the balcony, pointing at her. "This is all your fault!"  
"My fault?" Belle said, stopping in her tracks. "Why is this my fault? I didn't take anyone's things!"

"You brought the Dark One here! You brought that monster to town, you let him into our party, and you welcomed him to ruin Christmas for everyone! This is your fault!" Regina screeched, pointing at her. Everyone turned to look at Belle.

Belle remained quiet for a moment as she glanced around at all the people. Suddenly a little girl came popping out of the crowd and ran up to hold Belle's hand and stand by her side. Belle managed a smile at the girl, Cindy Lou before she spoke up.  
"Don't you all see? Christmas isn't ruined!" Belle bellowed. "It isn't about gifts and food or decorations. It's so much more than that!"

Regina laughed. "Like you have any idea what it actually is!"

"I know more than any of you!" Belle replied angrily. "After the way all you treated that poor man…" She pointed to the mountain. "…I'm not surprised he did what he did! Maybe you all deserve this so it will open your eyes and realize the true meaning of Christmas!"

"Oh, and if you're so knowledgeable about it, then why don't you tell us all about what the true meaning of Christmas?" Regina spat.  
"It's about love!" Cindy said, holding Belle's hand tight. "And being with your family! Because you still have them even without the presents!"

Belle shot a smile down at Cindy. Such a smart little girl.  
"Cindy's right," Belle told the crowd. "So look around you and see what's truly important! Friends, family, the ones you love!"  
Belle turned to Cindy and bent down to her level. She smiled even bigger. "Now I must go and be with the man I love on Christmas. He needs me now more than anything."  
She reached out and hugged Cindy tightly. "Thank you…"

Cindy hugged her tight and nodded. "And thank you," she said. She hurried to her family and everyone was starting to come to the realization of what Christmas was about. It began to snow…

Belle tightened the robe around her and continued toward the mountain, sprinting as fast as she could. As she got closer she could see something way at the very top that resembled…a sleigh maybe? A very large sleigh!  
As fast as she possibly could she began to climb the mountain arriving at Rumplestiltskin's front door in no time. But it wouldn't open for her…  
She needed an alternate way to get to the top and she remembered the trail Rumple had shown her where they went to look over the town.  
As she hurried around and up to the top she was so cold and felt like an icicle, but she didn't care at all. She had to get to Rumple as fast as possible before he did something he regretted.  
When she went as far as she could go, she still wasn't quite at the very top and Rumple was no where to be seen. There was indeed a giant sleigh full of the town's Christmas things, and it was blocking her way. Rumple had to be on the other side when she heard Max barking. Her only option now was to climb up and over, so that's exactly what she began to do.

Rumple was confused now. First there had been crying and screaming and yelling, and then there was silence. He supposed that now it was time to push the sleigh over the side, let it crash, that'll show everyone what Christmas really was, trash. He looked down at the steep plummet, his heart heavy. Belle would never forgive him… He went around the sled to start pushing it off. Max was running around the sled barking but he didn't care. He started pushing… And then he heard singing. Singing from the town. He stopped and looked at the town. Everyone… Everyone was happy on Christmas, without the presents, the lights, the trees… But how?

When Belle made it to the top of the sleigh she had to be sure to keep a good grip so she wouldn't fall. A quick glance over the side told her a fall would be a fall to her death. The sleigh felt like it was moving too. Maybe this wasn't the best idea, but she had to get to Rumple.  
"Rumple!" she called when she looked down and saw him watching the town. "Rumple up here!"  
Max saw her immediately and began to bark even louder. She squinted her eyes down at the wolf. Was he wearing antlers? And Rumple a Santa suit? Maybe she hadn't dreamed that last night…

Rumple suddenly turned and he saw her sitting on the sleigh. His eyes widened and his heart lept when he saw the love of his life there. "Belle?! What the hell are you doing up there?!" he shouted.

Belle smiled down at him, tears filling her eyes. "I came here to be with you…no one should be alone on Christmas. I love you Rumplestiltskin. I love you!"

Rumple looked up at her and tears filled his eyes. She still loved him… By gods, she still loved him. He could fix this. He could make everything right. He smiled at her. "….Come down from there, my love," he said. "We have to bring Christmas back."

Belle nodded and looked around, judging the best way to get down. Once she started moving though the sleigh shifted and a piece of the mountain broke loose underneath from the weight.  
It threw Belle off her feet, but she managed to grab onto a string of lights to keep from falling, but the sleigh however was slowly sliding over the edge, picking up speed.  
"Rumple!" Belle screamed, terrified she was about to die.

His eyes widened and he started panicking. "Belle!" He cried and he shot his arms out, using his magic to pull the sled back, away from the edge. It was so heavy, and he was already so tired from the strain of magic he had used the night before.

As the sleigh jerked Belle had to work hard to hold on and when Rumple moved it back away from the edge it threw her forward and she lost her grip on the lights she was hanging onto. Suddenly she found herself tumbling down the large bag full of the town's belongings toward the ground.

"Belle!" he cried. He let go of his concentration and ran to her, catching her in his arms. He held her close to him as the sled finally settled so it wouldn't tumble down. It was all safe. And so was Belle. He held her close and sobbed softly. "Don't ever do that again.." he said, shaking and scared for her and so very weak.

Belle gasped as she landed in his arms and when she realized she was safe she threw her arms around Rumple's neck and burying her face in his neck as he held her. "I had to get to you-I knew you needed me. People do stupid things when they're in love," she whispered against his ear.

Rumple sank to the ground with her in his arms and he held her close and tight. His tears fell freely and he kissed her head. "I love you," he whispered. "I'm so sorry, so so sorry for everything I did…"

Belle was crying too and she clinged to him as if her life depended on it. "It's okay Rumple. It's okay. I understand why you did it…I know what you've been through. But you have me now and I'm always going to be here for you no matter what. You shouldn't care what those people think because they're wrong about you. I know the true you. And I'm willing to stay by your side-we can do anything, go anywhere if you want to, but first you need to make everything right…"

Rumple took a breath and nodded, hugging her close. "I can't magic us down there, I'm so weak…" he said softly. "…Looks like we might have to slide down."

Belle pulled back to look him in the eyes and could see he was telling the truth. He looked so worn down, so tired, and broken, but gods she loved him so much. She smiled softly at him and ran her fingers through his hair. "I'm willing to do it if you are…"

He smiled softly. "Well, I've never been sledding before," he said. "So this should be fun." He gazed at her, how beautiful and perfect she was and still glowing from their activities last night. He cupped her face and gently kissed her. Max ran up and licked both of them.

Belle was just beginning to kiss him back when Max interrupted them. Belle giggled and playfully tried to push Max off of them, but the very sizable wolf had practically pinned the two of them on the ground.

Rumple laughed as he was pushed to the ground by his pet. "Max! Get in the sleigh, we're going back to town." Max barked and licked them again before he bounded to the sleigh.

Belle was on top of Rumple now, lying in the snow and she looked down at him and smiled. She bent down to kiss him gently.

He gazed at her. "…I love you," he said.

"I love you too, so very very much," she replied before sitting up.

He smiled and he sat up before helping her up. They headed to the sleigh and soon enough the three of them were sledding down the mountain, the wind whipping through their hair. Rumple was laughing, it was so much fun!

Belle was a little nervous when the sleigh first got going and she clung to Rumple's side for safety. After a few moments though she was laughing along with him, enjoying the trip down.  
As they neared the town however, she worried how the townspeople were going to react. Hopefully they wouldn't be too hard on him.

The sleigh began to slow down and it stopped right in the middle of town. Everyone gathered around cheering and clapping and Rumple stood up, smiling wide. "Merry Christmas to one and all!" he smiled proudly and everyone cheered.

Belle stood up too, looking around at everyone in shock. This was the last reaction she had expected, but she was so glad they didn't attack him. She knew he wouldn't be able to take any more rejection. But now…now hopefully this meant things could turn around. Hopefully he could finally be accepted in society and began to make friends.

Rumple smiled at everyone and everyone started getting their things from the back of the sleigh. It was then, Graham Wolf, the sheriff approached. Rumple turned and saw him, and taking a deep breath, he stepped down from the sleigh. Everyone fell quiet.

Belle had started helping take things down and finding their owners when all of a sudden it became quiet. Pausing what she was doing she looked up to see the sheriff and Rumple facing one another. Oh no…was he here to arrest him?

Rumple took as deep breath.  
"So." Graham said as Regina stood behind him smiling smugly, as well as Cora. "What have we got here?"  
"Well there's no point in hiding it," Rumple said. "I did it. I stole Christmas." He took a deep breath and held his wrists out. "And I'm sorry. But I'll go quietly. As long as there's visiting hours…" He added as he looked over his shoulder to his Belle.

Belle almost panicked in that very moment as her eyes locked with Rumple's and she heard what he said. Although she was proud of him for doing this-this wasn't what she wanted-not one bit.  
In an instant she was in between Rumple and the sheriff before he could make a move. "Please-please don't do this," she begged Graham and the Mayor. She still wasn't quite sure who the red haired woman was.

Cora chuckled. "He stole from the entire town, I think that should come with the proper consequences."  
"Cora…." Rumple growled and glared at her.

Cora…Cora…oh gods. It all hit Belle. That was the little girl that tricked Rumple when he was a child. Well she wasn't a little girl anymore.  
"But he brought it all back-every last bit. And he's clearly sorry. If it weren't for him everyone wouldn't have discovered what truly mattered!"

"You're very right," Graham said, walking past Rumple and looking up at all the decorations and gifts. "Looks like everything's here and accounted for, so I don't see any reason to punish him, though I am going to give you a warning." Rumple smiled wide and he hugged Belle close.

Belle hugged Rumple tightly so relieved. "Oh thank goodness," she whispered. "I didn't want to be without you…"

He smiled at her and kissed her gently. Cora glared at them, clearly annoyed that everything was going so well.

When Belle and Rumple broke away, she turned around and saw the red haired woman glaring at them. Belle held on to Rumple's arm a little tighter. "You stay away from him," Belle demanded. "From us. We don't want anything to do with you."  
Of course Belle only knew of what the woman had done to Rumple as a child and not what she had tried out on the balcony at the party.

Cora shook her head and she stepped forward. "Like he would ever want you," she said. "You, a little girl when he could have a real woman to care for him."  
"You leave her alone," Rumple growled. "She's more of a woman than you'll ever be."

Belle just glared at the woman unwilling to give her the satisfaction of showing her she was getting to her-which she wasn't. "Come on, Rumple, let's go help give everything back," she said tugging on his arm and ignoring Cora.

Rumple nodded and he held Belle close as they started helping pass out the gifts and decorations, and soon enough the town was back to its Christmasy self. Rumple sat on the empty sleigh with Belle as they watched all of the lights flicker and dance. Max curled up behind them.

By this point after everything was settled, Belle was shivering beyond control from being outside in the cold and snow with barely anything on but a nightgown and robe. Her shoes weren't very thick either. She wanted to enjoy everything-she really did-but she was having trouble concentrating and she curled up as close to Rumple as she could to try and get warmer.

Rumple felt her shivering and he gently picked her up in his arms. He was still weak but he wasn't going to let her freeze. "I'll take you home," he whispered. He walked to her house, Max following.

On their walk home little Cindy caught up to them wanting to say thank you. "Hey!" she called tugging lightly on Rumple's arm. "Is she okay?" She asked worried now that she saw he was actually carrying Belle in his arms.

Rumple half smiled at the little girl. "Yeah, she's OK, she's just tired from today and really cold. You should get home too." he said.

Hearing Cindy, Belle lifted her head up and smiled down at the little girl. "You don't need to worry about me," she told her.  
Cindy nodded. "I wanted to tell you thank you-for not just bringing everything back, but helping everyone learn what Christmas is really about." She was talking to both Rumple and Belle.  
Belle smiled brighter and motioned for Rumple to put her down for just a moment.

Rumple smiled at Cindy and he gently set Belle down, still making sure she was OK. Max sat beside her, looking happy.

Cindy glanced over at the wolf, looking a little frightened at first due to Max's size and how intimidating he looked.  
"Don't worry. He won't hurt you. He's just a giant puppy," Belle told Cindy and reached out to pet Max to show her he wouldn't hurt her.  
"Actually right now he's a reindeer," she whispered. "He doesn't want you to know he's really a wolf." She winked at Cindy.

Cindy giggled and she slowly pet the wolf. Rumple smiled softly. "Belle, come on, we need to get you home."

Max got excited when Cindy started petting him. This was a small human and he had never encountered a small human before! He started licking her face.  
"Max, that's enough," Belle said light heartedly. "We do need to go…" She was still so terribly cold…  
She hugged Cindy tight once she got her away from Max. "It's us who should be thanking you for being there to help convince the town. Merry Christmas sweetie."

Cindy hugged her close. "Merry Christmas," she said and then she hugged Rumple before hurrying home. Rumple smiled and he took Belle in his arms again. "Come on," he said. "Let's get you home."


End file.
